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West Side restaurant provides free hot meals to those in need

A plate of wings with a pint of beer
Steven Skryzpek
West Side restaurant The Gypsy Parlor provided free hot meals to those in need this week following the blizzard that hit Buffalo.

The Gypsy Parlor on Buffalo’s West Side has provided over a hundred free meals in the immediate aftermath of the blizzard, including to first responders.

The storm not only shut down streets but stores too. With many roads impassable and with the driving ban only recently lifted for the City of Buffalo, residents have largely been limited to what they can find within walking distance. For those that could walk to The Gypsy Parlor Monday night, they received a much-needed hot meal and sense of community.

“I was starting to realize that people in the West Side had no access to food, nothing was open, nothing was plowed, a few corner stores here and there, and people were starting to get super hungry," said owner Gabrielle Mattina.

She realized she had supplies and enough staff within walking distance to open her restaurant’s doors to anyone who could make it there on foot. She set to work with her staff to make as many meals as possible. Hungry and bedraggled firefighters were among those that paid a visit.

“I hit up one of my firefighter friends was like, ‘Are you guys OK?’ because they're working on the West Side, and I hooked them up with steaks and salmon," Mattina said. "It was just really sad to see him come there because he was soaking wet, covered in soot and just exhausted."

Mattina said the restaurant was busy from the moment they opened with people coming with bags to take food back to their families. As others began to emerge from the storm, so did their stories.

“The saddest story that stuck out to me was a family of six that came in and their pipes had burst and they were just so defeated and so cold," Mattina said.

Mattina plans to open The Gypsy Parlor every night this week for both regular service and complimentary meals for those in need.