Chef Bruno Serato Feeds Homeless Kids at His Gourmet Restaurant Every Night

For five years, Bruno Serato has been cooking gourmet meals for homeless children -- even at the risk of going out of business.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on September 05 2010

At Bruno Serato’s White House Restaurant in Anaheim, California, a pasta entrée costs $25 or more. But most of Serato’s customers don’t pay a cent.

Five years ago, Serato’s mother came to visit him from Italy. He showed off his gourmet restaurant, then took her to visit the local Boys and Girls Club, where he was a board member. When they arrived there, Bruno mentioned that some of the members were homeless children who didn’t have enough to eat—and his mother asked him a question.

“Why don’t you feed them pasta?”

That night, Serato fed all of the children at the club. He did it again the night after that—and every weeknight since, for five full years. All in all, he’s given away more than 250,000 meals. Serato’s mother’s request, he told CBS, was “the biggest gift of my life.”

With the economic downturn, Serato’s restaurant has run into trouble, and in recent months, he’s been giving away more food than he sells to paying customers. He’d been worried about going out of business—but since CBS’ story about him, Serato has received over $20,000 in donations, and his restaurant’s been packed. Sounds like there are still plenty of kids’ meals left to serve at the White House.

Watch the wonderful video about Serato and his restaurant.

Filed under: Business, Heroes, Non-Profits,

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