Tulsa Diner Feeds Hundreds For Free Despite Pandemic Financial Hardships

A Tulsa diner is feeding hundreds of people for free, even though the restaurant is struggling because of the pandemic. They’ve lost about 70% of their business, but are still feeding people, whether they can pay or not.

Owner of Flo’s Burger Diner Brandy Adkins has a motto: "Food is love.”

Flo's Diner sits right off 11th street in Tulsa, and there is another diner in Catoosa.

According to Adkins, the most popular item on the menu is: “the Bomb Burger. It is a deconstructed jalapeño popper that is stuffed between two patties, topped with cheese bacon and mayo."

On Sundays, Flo's Diner is closed.

"We have watched people across the street close out and empty out and God has kept us here. We have a purpose," said Adkins.

What she believes that purpose is?

"To feed people,” said Adkins.

Adkins’ Sunday morning was spent making bin after bin of food.

“It is food like I cook at home. We have got chicken spaghetti, we have got spaghetti and meatballs, green beans, corn, garlic bread and salad,” Adkins said.

In the afternoon, friends, employees, family members and everyone's kids packed into the kitchen and prepped the restaurant. The evening was spent giving away hundreds of dollars’ worth of meals to people in need.

The diner has been doing this for eight years but can’t afford to do this monthly right now. Each time they open their doors for this event, they feed about 350 people, the money comes out of her own pocket.

They have kept on though, even during a pandemic as Adkins said business is down by 70%. The diner does this when they can afford to. They will make posts on their company Facebook pages, let people tag loved ones and then they eventually take the posts down, to protect people’s privacy.

"I don't want anybody to feel like it is a handout, just come and eat,” said Adkins.

She doesn't even have to ask her employees and friends to help, they want to be here.

"Since people have always helped me and I have been down too before, just like them. I was homeless about eight months ago," said Christia Kelley. “She [Brandy] is my savior, my mentor, she has helped me through so many things, my best friend, my sister basically.”

This is more than a meal; this is nourishment for the soul.

If you would like to help the diner keep feeding families in need, you can stop by the Tulsa or Catoosa locations.

To donate, you can contact the diner through PayPal: chefadkins82@gmail.com, through CashApp: $FlosPlates, find them on Facebook or stop by the diner in Tulsa at 2604 East 11th and ask for Brandy.