Restaurant owner treats 50 homeless people to fine dining

An Ohio restaurant owner named Joel Testa wanted to help the homeless this holiday season. But instead of organizing something along the lines of a food drive, Testa had something extra-special in mind: fine dining.

Testa is a partner at D.B.A., a highly praised restaurant in Akron, Ohio. He and his partners Dante Boccuzzi and Morgan Yagi treated 50 homeless people to a lavish dinner at the restaurant Sunday.

“Some of these people may never experience fine dining,” Testa told Ohio.com

The meal was served on large tables with family-style seating, and the food was plated on fine dinnerware. The four-course meal started with a spinach salad, followed by a potato leek soup, braised short ribs for the main course and a chocolate mousse for dessert. Everyone was welcome to seconds and leftovers.

“Generally, people are afraid of the homeless,” Testa said. “The homeless are not lepers. Homelessness can happen to anyone.”

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