Do It Local Berks' boosts restaurants with family meal pop-ups during COVID pandemic (Reading Eagle Feature)
By Stacie Jones sjones@readingeagle.com @Berkscountry on Twitter
Jan 26, 2021 Updated Jan 26, 2021
Photo of Yard signs made by Kevin Bezler of MADJ Marketing are popping up this week to advertise the Do It Local Berks family meal pop-ups. Courtesy of Heather Brady
Photo of Cars line up to pick up meals through Do It Local Berks. Courtesy of Heather Brady
A family meal pop-up crew, from left, Heather Brady, Raf Cirandine, co-owner of Nonno Alby's of West Reading, Massimo Grande, co-owner of Nonno Alby's, and Jeff Trupe, a neighbor. Courtesy of Heather Brady
Within 24 hours, four families in Wyomissing Hills had agreed to host a family meal pop-up.
And, says Heather Brady, the volunteers had decided the neighborhood pool was the best place for people to pick up their meals.
Neighborly is the best way to describe a new, grassroots effort to help Berks County restaurants whose owners are struggling to keep doors open since COVID-19 lockdowns and dine-in bans.
It's called Do It Local Berks family meal pop-ups and it's coming to a neighborhood — or farm — near you. That is, if it hasn't arrived already.
Heather and Patrick Brady of Mohnton are the co-founders of Do It Local Berks.
"It's what it's all about, locals helping locals," said Heather Brady, 37, a mother of two and former radio station sales rep. "I love it. It's amazing; sometimes a little overwhelming."
Family farms are all about feeding people, so it makes sense that Berks County farmers are among those volunteering to host the meal pop-ups. Not only do these events make feeding your family easy, they introduce restaurants or menu items to those unfamiliar with them.
LaFaver Family Farm in Tilden Township has a goal of pre-selling 50 meals when they host an Italian family meal pop-up on Feb. 11, said Emily LaFaver. She has partnered with Mimmo's Restaurant in Shillington for the pop-up at her family's farm store near Hamburg.
Dennis Swartz Jr. of Swartz's Roadside Stand in Brecknock Township heard about Do It Local Berks from LaFaver, and he jumped in to host a pop-up meal in February, also with Mimmo's.
The idea evolved in October after Brady helped a local business partner with a restaurant so employees could pick up family-sized meals in the parking lot on their way home. It got started in earnest in December with two pop-ups at her house.
"It's a way to get a delicious, hot meal and it's a good value," said Joie McKim, who organizes the Thursday family meal pop-ups in Green Valley Estates every week.
"Joie is by far my biggest motivator, supporter and connector for these pop-ups!" Brady said.
So far, the biggest pop-up in Green Valley delivered 55 meals, said McKim, adding that Do It Local Berks also is helping raise money for families dealing with health crises.
As the owner of boutique Joyful Roots, McKim is "an incredibly thoughtful local business supporter," Brady said. "She knows first-hand how locals supporting locals is critical during these tough times."
The events have spread by Facebook and word of mouth. To help even more, curbside signs made by Kevin Bezler, president and CEO of MADJ Marketing, will be placed in neighborhoods this week.
"We’ve supported Heather’s Do It Local initiatives for some time now and when she came to us to help her expedite the new Neighborhood Pop-up program, we were all-in," Bezler said in an email.
"The approach that Heather at Do It Local has taken to reinvent the dinner takeout and delivery model is extraordinary," he wrote. "We are beyond excited to partner as the official sponsor and believe the additional marketing and consulting support we are providing to the program will help further develop the way we all think about 'what’s for dinner.' ”
Here's how it works: DoItLocalBerks.com lists the dates (emphasizing Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) and venues/hosts, along with the restaurant name and the family meal choices. Simply click your location and meal choices, pay with a credit card (including a 10% fee to cover taxes) and then pick up your meal when the date rolls around. There are no upcharges, and no tipping is required.
"Our neighbors are organizing a neighborhood pop-up event soon and we are very excited to be picking up dinner right in our own neighborhood," Bezler said.
Restaurants wishing to join in can contact Brady. For prospective hosts, Brady asks them to gauge whether they could pre-sell a minimum of eight to 10 family meals, to make the food drop-off worthwhile for a restaurant.
Seeds of inspiration
During COVID, Brady said she started playing around with different ideas to figure out how to help.
"I want to be a source of driving revenue," she said. "I want to actually drive sales to these restaurants who are doing anything and everything to stay afloat."
Since the pop-up meals began in December, she's been working on a completely volunteer basis, but envisions that possibly changing as the project evolves.
So far, 27 family pop-up meal events have been held in communities in Exeter Township, Mohnton, Sinking Spring, Shillington and Wyomissing. Green Valley hosts one every Thursday.
"We now have tens of thousands of dollars flowing into these restaurants," Brady said.
Big-hearted Berks
"There's not a single person in this county who doesn't want to help," Brady said. "It's super simple. Open your driveway for 30 minutes. Pre-sell family meals and pick up from your driveway."
There are a half dozen participating restaurants, with a waiting list of about 11 others, Brady said.
She encourages neighborhoods to host a pop-up once a month.
"Once you see it, it's so easy, but there are a lot of nerves because it's new," she said.
The added benefit is being able to socialize in a COVID-friendly way by waving to your neighbors.
Block party aspirations
As for the future, Brady said she sees the family meal pop-ups lasting well into the new year, perhaps evolving into a block party in the warmer months. She can envision sports teams and parent-teacher organizations using DoItLocalBerks as a fundraiser.
"It's about making our lives easier," said the young mother. "I think there are lots of opportunities that will find themselves because our community is that awesome."
For more information, go to www.DoItLocalBerks.com or www.facebook.com/DoItLocalBerks.
