KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Not only did Nena's Cooper Cafe open its doors Thanksgiving morning— their food was on the house.
Turkey, dressing, corn, mash potatoes, and more— the restaurant served up signature holiday dishes and gave them away for free. Owner Christina Morris said it's her way of giving back to a community that supported her for so long.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., customers came for a meal and left with a smile. "She's opened our hearts. She's one of the friendliest heard and is outspoken, and are that group of people that she has worked in with her there is just a big old family," said longtime customer Janiece Quick.
She's been dinning at the restaurant for six years and spent Thanksgiving there for the last three. "This is my home away from home on Thanksgiving," she told FOX 17.
For loyal customers like Janiece, Norris says it's important that they feel special.
"We've had the pandemic, my illness, all the things going on. Having said all of that, without their love and support on a daily basis, we wouldn't be here," Norris said.
For the past eight years, she and her husband start cooking at 3:30 a.m. every Thanksgiving morning. With the help of her husband, kids, nieces, and grandkids— core memories are made.
"I don't ever want to think of one person that we could have been there for that was home alone or didn't have any family or didn't have any friends. So that's my prayer every year is to be here for that one person or that one family that really needed us," she said.
Through donations and continued support from the community, Christina and her family hope to keep this tradition alive.
