Grand Stage Diner helps feed those in need for Thanksgiving

Posted

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for all that you have. To show just how thankful they are to the East Meadow community for all of its support, the Grand Stage Diner decided to give back — by giving away hundreds of Thanksgiving meals.

The idea was the 2020 brainchild of Michelle Debatto, of Levittown, and her husband, Al, because they thought people would need help, especially because of the Covid-19 pandemic. And now, neearly three years later, the food giveaway is still going strong.

“There are a lot of families in need,” Michelle said. “It’s sad with how many people show up and are in need, and this year, food is way more expensive.”

On Nov. 21 and 22, for 12 hours, the Debattos and two of the diner’s owners, brothers Nick and George Argyris, stood outside under a tent that was set up in the parking lot. They gave out more than 800 free meals, complete with turkey, freshly made pies from the diner and canned goods.

Local elected officials came down to help load meals in people’s cars. Hempstead Town Councilman Dennis Dunne Sr., who helped the drive get coverage on social media in 2020, whipped out his phone to make sure that people knew that there was food if they needed it.

“Thank you to my dear friends at the Grand Stage Diner,” Dunne said in a statement. “I look forward to helping them continue this Thanksgiving tradition for many years to come.”

The Debattos have been customers at the diner, on Hempstead Turnpike in East Meadow, for over three years, and have become friendly with Tom Argyris, one of its owners and Nick and George’s father. When Michelle wanted to put together a food giveaway, she asked the owners if they wanted to get involved, and they very quickly agreed.

“We’re such good friends, and they were able to accommodate me getting all of the supplies here and keeping it downstairs,” Michelle said. “Plus, they offered to donate turkeys and pies, so we decided to do this together.”

For a number of years, the Argyris family managed the Stage Door Delicatessen in Manhattan, which had two locations, but both closed by 2016.

They opened the Grand Stage Diner — which used to be the Empress Diner —in February 2019. The Empress had been in East Meadow for nearly 50 years. Now the family is active in the Chamber of Commerce and Kiwanis, and often hosts their meetings. 

“It’s great to give back to the community and help the community,” Nick said. “We just wanted to do something good especially during Covid, and now when money is tight and food is more expensive. We wanted to show people that there is hope and people that care.”

In 2020, 450 meals were given away. As the years have gone on, more and more meals have been provided.

The Debattos have always been charitable. For every holiday season they fill a cart with groceries and donate to food pantries in need. For this food giveaway, Michelle does all of the shopping herself.

“It takes me about three weeks to get everything,” Michelle said. “I was looking around for the best deals so that we can get as much as we can.”

Money is gathered from a collection that Michelle runs on Facebook, but the majority of the cost of the food is split between the Debattos and the Grand Stage Diner.

“This is all about giving back,” Michelle said. “There’s people who can’t afford to buy a meal. We always tell our kids that if you’re lucky enough to have, you can give back.”

Long Island Cares reports that more than 272,000 Long Islanders are hungry or experience food insecurity, equating to one in every nine people. Of that number, more than 89,000 of them are children. According to the USDA, the average cost of a turkey has increased to nearly $2 per pound in 2022, up from $1.15 in 2021. So for many, this meal giveaway is crucial.

“We like to help the community,” George said. “With the economy and inflation there’s more people in need and we wanted to do the right thing.”