MINNEAPOLIS (TBEN) – Last spring, a small group of neighbors in Bloomington decided they wanted to do what they could to support local restaurants. From there, the interest grew and the results are better than they ever imagined.
It’s Wednesday night, and that means fun is brewing at Walton Pond Circle. Neighbors emerge at this time of the week to do something rare: socialize and order group take-out from local restaurants.
The new neighborhood tradition between nine families began in April and has since spread. Each family turns and chooses a restaurant. They all ate outside remotely during the summer, but then moved things inside towards the end of October. The responsible family each week collects the food and leaves it door to door.
(credit: TBEN)
It’s a way to support local businesses, which John O’Connell appreciates. He is the general manager of the Fireside Foundry restaurant.
“When we get big orders like this, everyone is excited, from our servers to the kitchen,” O’Connell said.
And it is also a way to support each other.
“It’s just a great community experience to have,” said neighbor Lynn Mulcahy. “It made our neighborhood a lot closer.”
In a time when our neighbors can feel miles away from each other and the world is difficult to connect, these neighbors are doing it – and are closer than ever.
“Getting together when you can’t be together is the coolest thing,” said neighbor Gabriela Sikich. “It was magical.”
They hope their story inspires other blocks to do something similar.
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