Like other bars and restaurants impacted by the coronavirus, Luke's Bar and Grill is no longer welcoming patrons into its dining room, but is still open for takeout and delivery.

In addition to cooking for loyal customers, Luke's is also feeding staff at local hospitals, firehouses, EMS stations and police precincts. The effort, a partnership between Luke's customers and owner Luigi Militello, is called NYC Stronger Together.

It started as a way to honor Joe Carey, a Luke’s bartender who died suddenly on St. Patrick’s Day last year. Friends chipped in cash to get it rolling, and the generosity of many others has kept it going.

"Twenty patrons and myself got together and we said, 'What can we do in Joe's honor, in Joe's name?'" said Mike "Red" Walsh, one of the organizers. "And we pooled $100 apiece, and we went to Luigi Militello, the owner of Luke's, and said, 'Here's $2,000. We'd like to buy lunch to feed the first responders.'"

They started at the 25th Precinct in the Bronx, where Joe Carey's nephew works, and then moved on to firehouses, EMS stations and hospitals in the neighborhood.

Walsh says hospitals are a challenge because someone from inside has to go outside to pick up food. 

"You basically have to have a connection with a nurse because they won't let you anywhere near the front doors of the hospital," he said.

The effort has expanded to sales of t-shirts with NYC Stronger Together emblazoned on the front to help support the meals. And the donations keep coming in.

Walsh says it's a win win. First responders and health care workers get food, and Luke's stays open and the staff stays employed. 

"Either eight to 12 staff that is out working full time, and then we are feeding the first responders, so it's pumping money back into the Upper East Side and the community," he said.

Walsh says it's been a fulfilling experience to be part of this.

"You can see the smile in their eyes, all the nurses getting a nice hot meal, and that's just what we want to do," he said.

 

 

 

If you want to help the Luke’s keep feeding folks on the front lines of the pandemic, head to LukesBarandGrill.com for more information.