Protect And Serve: Stamford Police To Wait On Tables At Stamford Diner
STAMFORD, CT — Police officers take an oath to protect and serve, and for a few hours on April 10 at the Stamford Diner, Stamford’s finest will also serve the community some delicious food all for a good cause.
The diner, located at 135 Harvard Ave., will hold a “Tip-a-Cop” event in which officers from the Stamford Police Department will serve customers from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
About four to five officers per hour will come in and work a shift, and all are welcome to stop by, whether it’s for a meal, some dessert or just a cup of coffee.
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All proceeds will go toward the Stamford Police Athletic League Center.
“We’re basically letting police wait on customers, with our waiters, of course, behind them,” said Stamford Diner General Manager Laura O’Brien. “It’s a great way to support the Police Athletic League, and to get to know the police better, too. We have some really, really great officers who come in all the time and they take really good care of us, too.”
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The Stamford Diner, which was featured last summer on an episode of Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” is under the umbrella of Thanos Restaurant Group, owned by Ari Thanos.
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O’Brien said the restaurant group is committed to giving back to the community.
“We love to help the community, whether it’s high schools or any nonprofit. We’re engrossed in Stamford, and we want to be a part of the community and we want to have that camaraderie with everybody. We want to be a great neighbor,” she said.
Stamford police Lt. Jerry Junes will participate on April 10.
“I believe this is going to be an awesome event. It’s something where if there’s ever a need to paint a different narrative of what policing is truly about, this is certainly one of those events where it’s going to highlight some of our talents that most people in the public don’t really see or know about,” Junes said. “It gives us an opportunity to offer a different aspect of the Stamford Police Department to our community.”
More than likely, Junes said the proceeds will be used to support the Stamford PAL’s art and culinary programs. The Stamford PAL center is located at 245 Selleck St.
The art program is open every Saturday morning to Stamford youth who participate in different art projects, and the culinary program runs each Thursday.
“We’ve baked muffins, we’ve baked cookies, we’re going to be making pasta and spaghetti. It gives a kid an opportunity to learn the basic fundamentals of cooking and kitchen safety, and it promotes some educational incentives as well,” Junes said.
An employee at the diner held a similar event many years ago and it was a great success, according to O’Brien.
“He’s been asking us to do it for a while,” O’Brien added.
Junes praised the Stamford Diner for stepping up and hosting.
“It’s a tremendous idea,” said Junes, who will be getting his first experience serving food. “It just shows that collaborative mindset of people in the community who are willing to help out, and more importantly, people in the community who see a need for programs that help kids.”
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