GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A bulletin board at J&J Cafe along Klaus Street in Green Bay is packed with prepaid checks, which will provide free food to anyone struggling to afford their next meal.
Employees at J&J aren’t looking for recognition, saying they just want to help the community.
“A lot of people need help, people are down on their luck, not everybody has it all. It’s the least we could do to try to give back to the community. The real heroes are the people who come in and gift these tickets,” says J&J Cafe Co-owner Dale Peters.
He even says after recent national attention, the cafe received checks from people in Scotland, Germany, and across the United States. Peters tells us he hopes their efforts inspire others to do the same.
“I really hope this spearheads a movement in the area where we’re not the only ones doing it. There should be no reason nobody else is doing this. Everybody wins. The meals are paid for, it’s not a handout, it’s not a charity,” Peters tells WTAQ, “I don’t see a downside. Every place should be doing this. There would be no hunger problem if every place was doing this, we wouldn’t even be having this interview right now because it wouldn’t be a problem.”
Peters says it’s just like covering a bill for a friend, coming at it with a no-worries approach. He thinks people in the community should have each other’s backs, especially when it comes to the necessities. The paying it forward approach was a no-brainer for Peters and his team.
“Before we even opened the doors we were talking about what we wanted to do here, and that was one of the programs that we talked about. It was no hesitation that absolutely, we should be doing this. It’s just a small part of what we’re trying to bring to the neighborhood.”
The program is a major feature within the J&J Cafe business, but Peters hopes for the business to be a piece of the development in the area around northern Webster Avenue in Green Bay.
“Bringing it to something that people want to come and visit, is what we’re aiming to do. Revitalize the area, make it a nice little stop on the way to the Bay Beach area.”
The restaurant is still in its infancy, being just a month and a half old. Peters hopes to find success and expand the business, even citing hopes of obtaining a food truck down the road.
