CANTON, Ohio — Cyrus Ausar opened the Greatness Cafe last summer.
It’s a mental health cafe, where each item on the menu is an affirmation.
He said he aims to make his cafe a safe place where people can come to share their feelings and relax.
Recently, he noticed groups of kids coming in hungry.
“I’ve seen kids come in and say that they can’t afford food, well they didn’t say it, but their body language indicated it,” Ausar said. “They said, I’m not hungry, they lied. ‘Cause I did it too [when I was younger.]”
Ausar decided to do something about this issue.
“I am like no, from here on out, anybody that comes in here that is a child, under 18 and they don’t have enough money to eat, I will pay for it myself,” he declared.
Ausar realized it might be difficult for kids to tell employees they don’t have enough money, so he came up with a subtle gesture they can do.
“All they gotta do is just do a gesture, just put their hand over their heart and I will give it to them,” he explained. “There is no conversation because the conversation itself is embarrassing.”
He wanted the gesture to be simple enough for the kids that it would go unnoticed by those around them.
“Let’s just say they came in and did it and went and sat down, we would look and we might give them a chicken sandwich, we might give them grilled cheese, we will give them whatever it may be, I just know we will always have something,” Ausar said.
He said even if it is later in the day when the café is sold out of chicken there are other substitutes such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or soup.
“Every restaurant has something,” ausar said. “I don’t care what anyone says, they have something and I think that something can fulfill that void of food.”
He plans to continue offering the free meals to the kids for as long as he is in business.
