Restaurant forced to stop feeding homeless after complaints from other business owners
A Lafeyette, Ind. restaurant has been forced to stop feeding the homeless amid complaints from fellow business owners. The Buttery Shelf, a small eatery owned by Cherrie Buckley, fed as many as 70 people a free meal each Thursday.
But the restaurant’s good deed has since stopped for good.
The free lunches, said Jerry Kalal, owner of K. Dee’s Coffee and Roasting Co., scared customers away from his business and resulted in an uptick in fights and littering in the street. “I said, ‘You do this little soup kitchen, but you’re closing down all the other businesses,’ ” Kalal said. “I’m not against helping people, but when it hurts my building and other businesses, I go off.”
Lafayette police officers fielded repeated complaints about Buttery Shelf patrons, but each time responded to find nothing more severe than patrons blocking traffic. Buckley said her trash containers were even removed. Finally, Buckley gave up.
As a result of the stopped lunch, Tippecanoe County’s needy has one less resource to seek food.
Thoughts on merchants forcing the Buttery Shelf to cease feeding the homeless?
Are they being unreasonable since it was just one day out of the week?
Sound off below!