With all schools in South Carolina now temporarily empty amidst the rising threat of the coronavirus, local restaurants are promising students they won’t also have to worry about empty stomachs.
“This is an unprecedented time,” said Ricky Richardson, CEO of Eggs Up Grill, which is among the list of restaurants offering free lunches at some of its locations. “With the uncertainty going on, we wanted to make sure we did our part for kids who rely on school lunches as a primary source of nutrition. It’s humbling, but the spirit of community is strong here.”
We’ll be updating this page continually, but for now here’s a list of local restaurants pledging free meals for school-age kids who might not be otherwise be able to find nutritious meals:
GB&D at The Commons at 147 Welborn St is offering free lunches for children starting March 18. Lunches will be available beginning at 11 a.m. each weekday and will be on tables outside clearly labeled with their ingredients. People can grab what they need, and lunches can also be walked out to cars by GB&D staff.
Copper River Grill at 775 Haywood Road will be offering a free lunch between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to any school-age child, Monday through Friday, from now through April 3.
White Duck Taco at 1320 Hampton Ave #12b in Greenville is offering one free taco per day Tuesday through Friday to any school-aged child
Eggs Up Grill is offering middle-school-aged kids or younger a free meal from the kids menu from 11 am to 1 pm on weekdays, at its locations in Greenville on Woodruff Road, Pelham Road, McAlister Square, as well as in Greer and Spartanburg.
Tropical Grill is offering free kids bowls from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at all its locations, including downtown Greenville, Pelham Road, Woodruff Road, Greer, Spartanburg and Mauldin.
Farm Fresh Fast at 860 S Church St. in Greenville is offering free meals to any kids, no matter the time of the day, but is requesting any help with donations of time, money or products
Tony’s Pizza and Subs at 304 Fairview Street in Fountain Inn is offering a free personal pan pizza to any school-age kids from Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the next two weeks
Biscuit Head at 823 S Church St in Greenville is offering one free biscuit to any school-age child who comes in each day schools are closed
Holy Molli at 2500 Winchester Pl #108 in Spartanburg is offering free meals to kids for the rest of March
Mojo’s at 21 Plaza Drive in Travelers Rest is offering free kids’ meals from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays for the time being, with delivery via DoorDash and no contact delivery available.
Young’s Café at 900 S Mechanic St. in Pendleton is offering free kids’ meals from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with curbside pickup available.
Arizona Handcrafted Fare and Drink Co. at 3952 Grandview Drive in Simpsonville is open for to-go and curbside pickup from noon until 2 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Call 864-962-1700 to place an order and add a meal for children. A “meal of the day” for the kids, which will range from grilled cheeses, to chicken tenders, to burgers, and anything in between.
Northwest Grill at 13045 Old White Horse Rd. in Travelers Rest is offering one free kids’ meal per day from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. per child, with curbside pickup available.
Anthony’s Pizzeria at 655 Fairview Rd. #A in Simpsonville is offering a free slice to kids during the weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. while schools are closed. Just mention the kids’ Facebook special.
Papas and Beer locations in the Upstate, including at 317 Haywood Rd. in Greenville, are offering a free kids burrito or quesadilla meal to any child Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m..
Wilhelmina’s Kitchen at 5928 Highway 187 in Anderson will be serving free lunch to school-aged kids from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.