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BY ANNETTE ARNOLD
aarnold@nwitimes.com
219.548.4359 | Monday, November 24, 2008 | (No comments posted.)
VALPARAISO | Once again people can get a free turkey dinner the day before Thanksgiving at Valparaiso's Round the Clock Restaurant.
What started out about 30 years ago as a free meal for the elderly and for people with no place to go has evolved into a lunch for anyone as a way of saying thank you and Happy Holidays.
The tradition was started by owner Dino Christodoulakis at the Valparaiso restaurant and about five years ago when the Chesterton Round the Clock opened they decided to alternate between locations every year. This year the lunch is at the Valparaiso location, said Lou Halkias, general manager of the Chesterton restaurant.
"We had breakout records last year at our Chesterton location," said Halkias. "We got about 650 people in a three-hour period."
Halkias thinks that the tough economy this year will bring out even more people to the Valparaiso location.
Halkias said they often get the same people who come in regularly but they also get people who want to take advantage of this opportunity and some just happen to stumble upon a free meal that day.
"For many, it's like having a Thanksgiving meal at home," Halkias said.
This year's free meal will be served from 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday. There will be a choice of turkey or ham dinner, soup or salad, coffee or fountain beverage and a slice of pumpkin pie. There will be no early seating, reservations or carry outs allowed for the event.
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