Restaurant remembers those in need
COLLEGEVILLE >> As restaurant sales have nosedived during the past year, one local eatery found a way to not only survive but to nourish its charitable side.
“When the pandemic started it seemed to happen so suddenly,” said Maitai Doughty, co-owner of Chow Bistro, 454 E. Main St., Collegeville. “So we decided to stay open just for takeout. But I was worried about my employees, who had families and kids. I didn’t have money to give them, but we had food to feed them, and that’s how it started. And then I realized there are so many people in the area who needed help so we started offering free food.”
To spread the word, Doughty’s daily posts like this one began appearing on Facebook in the early stages of the pandemic: “Good Morning Collegeville & Neighbors TGIF !!! And the sun is out. I will be cooking Chicken Teriyaki with Jasmine rice and Veggies for all the hungers this morning. If you have no jobs, no paychecks due to the shutdown from Covid 19, Come on over at Chow Bistro. I will be giving out Free Box of my Yummy Teriyaki Chicken Rice Box for you and your loved ones. Don’t be shy because, I am broke too. We are in the same boat. So pull up in the back of the restaurant and yell out my name Maitai (pronounce as “my tie”or “my Thai”), sometime I don’t hear you because I turn on loud Thai Soap Opera as a background noise to keep me company while I ‘m cooking or prepping. So See you at 12:00 pm Thank God we are alive, well and Healthy ! Please help me share this post, so it’ll get to people in need. Thank you.”
Chef Guy Clauson launched Chow Bistro in 2014 as “an affordable, every day type of destination.” Doughty had joined the staff from Clauson’s previous restaurant, Black Lab, and didn’t hesitate when he shared his plans to sell Chow Bistro four years later.
“Guy contacted me about buying the restaurant. I thought, ‘I already work crazy hours,’ so why not?’,” Doughty recalled, laughing. “We had worked together for a lot of years.”
Co-owners Doughty and Edelmira Trujillo kept the restaurant name that had built up such a loyal following in the area, plus much of the menu, now billed as “casual New American cuisine with a twist.”
“It’s an international mix of people here, that’s why our menu has such a variety,” Doughty noted.
Highlights of the wildly diverse offerings include Shrimp and Lump Crabmeat Risotto (spinach, diced tomatoes, cream, parmesan); Thai Chicken Dumplings (scallions, crispy garlic, sweet soy dipping sauce); Chicken Marsala (mushroom Marsala cream sauce, mashed
potatoes, asparagus, substitute spaghetti for mashed potatoes for free); Blackened Salmon; and Ground Filet Cheeseburger with choice of cheddar or Swiss cheese and fresh-cut fries.
“After the pandemic hit we changed and simplified the menu a little … no one is going to pay $30 for a crab cake, so we needed to fit the situation,” Doughty noted. “We made a lot of adjustments. It’s not as fancy, you can bring your kids. We have a little bit of everything for everyone. We also have a lot of gluten-free items.”
Last Thanksgiving the restaurant provided free takeout meals, as more and more businesses donated to keep the charitable effort going.
“We were still in shutdown mode so we decided to make rotisserie chickens and side dishes for those who couldn’t afford a Thanksgiving meal. We had stuffed chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans, at least 300 people came to pick up food. We were getting people from Pottstown. It was a lot of work but it was so rewarding. And people were supporting the business too, coming for takeout,” Doughty noted.
As a result of the restaurant’s generosity during these difficult times, the paying clientele has grown considerably.
“I knew nothing about this restaurant before the pandemic, but I made it a point to order takeout and then dine inside when it was allowed,” noted customer Ginny Pickles. “Their meals are delicious.”
The meal giveaways are now limited to Wednesday and Saturday, with the uplifting Facebook posts like this one from March 6 still reaching
out to those in need: “We are cooking up some Teriyaki Chicken with Jasmine rice and Sautéed vegetables. If you are in need of food. stop by and pick some up for yourself and your loved ones. We are seeing light at the end of tunnel here !! Hang in there folks and Let’s Eat Together. It’s free and delicious. Pick up at the back of Chow Bistro from 12 p.m. until supplies last. We also would like to take this time to thank Terese Brittingham, Jaymarie DeFruscio-Achenbach and everyone from Keller Williams Realty Group for your monetary donation for our Free Chicken Rice to Those In Need project. We really appreciate your generosity and support. It means so much for us to have help from you and we will continue to provide free meals during this pandemic. Thank you Debbie and Randy Riegner from TR Insurance in Collegeville. You have been so wonderful to us as well with all your helping hands with donations during this past year and continuing to support us. We love you and really appreciate your support. And last, thank you everyone who keep ordering takeouts from us or dining in. Everyone in this community have been so wonderful and so supportive with our little project. You guys Rock!”
“We’re shut down for lunch, so we use that time to do some charity before we open the restaurant for dinner at 4:30,” Doughty said. “We’re following the guidelines, what the governor said to do, six feet apart, wearing masks. We follow whatever the rules are. So we’re doing both, giving away food in the morning and opening for business later in the day.”