Columbia bakery makes mornings warm
Reinhold with a quiche made as part of the bakery’s
free breakfast it is giving to those in need.
While it is seeing decreased sales like virtually every other restaurant, Dear Diva Desserts is still finding a way to help those in need during the stay at home order.
It is doing that by offering a daily free breakfast with no questions asked.
“Free breakfast is open to anyone who needs,” reads a note the bakery shares with each day’s offerings on Facebook. “We are not here to judge. We just ask you to be kind.”
Co-owner Zac Reinbolt said he and fellow owner Bethany Reinhold decided to start offering free breakfast when they realized that some school children may go without some food after schools closed.
“That bothered us.,” Reinbolt said. “We can’t do much because we’re a small shop, but we thought we could put in at least a couple hours a day and provide at least one solid meal a day for somebody if they need it.”
Dear Diva Desserts started offering free breakfast for children shortly after Illinois’ stay at home order began in mid-March, but it soon expanded to allow adults in need to get a meal too when it Reinbolt and Reinhold saw stories of overwhelmed food banks.
The store still mainly provides breakfast to children, but it has seen some adults get a meal.
“It’s one of those weird things where it’s hard to determine success because you don’t want to see people need it, but at the same time turn out’s been good,” Reinbolt explained. “The support has been even better. The community has been really, really great about lending us a helping hand.”
That assistance has come in the form of donations from residents and individuals as far away as Philadelphia and New York.
Local businesses have also chipped in supplies, with Columbia Market sponsoring a week’s worth of breakfasts, Fresh Pasture Farms in Millstadt donating eggs, and Schneider’s Quality Meats and Sunset Overlook providing ingredients.
“It’s been really nice to see everybody come out and be so helpful,” Reinbolt said.
To get a free breakfast, call the bakery at 281-8771 from 8-10 a.m. and tell whoever answers the phone what type of car you drive and how many servings you need. The business, located at 321 North Main Street, will then bring the food out to you in its parking lot.
Follow Dear Diva Desserts on Facebook to see its daily free breakfast offerings and for more information.
