Despite tough times for business, Long Island restaurants band together to help others

Restaurants across the Island are losing businesses with dine-in services suspended, but still many in the industry are trying to make sure people get fed.

News 12 Staff

Mar 26, 2020, 12:37 AM

Updated 1,494 days ago

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Amid some difficult times, Long Island residents are working together to help each other get through it all.
Restaurants across the Island are losing businesses with dine-in services suspended, but still many in the industry are trying to make sure people get fed.
John Peragine, owner of Donatina Pizzeria and PeraBell Food Bar in Patchogue, teamed up with other restaurants to feed doctors and nurses in Suffolk.
So far the group has raised nearly $20,000 in donations to pay for and deliver the food, as well as pay staff.
"We need to get food to these people, there's so many of them working diligently, really hard, and it's just our duty to keep them fed well.," says Eric Rifkin, of Bobbique.
At La Famiglia in Smithtown, they have hundreds of bags of food ready to go, which they're handing out for free to people in a drive-through line.
Owner John Cracchiolo says he wants to feed anyone who might be struggling right now. Each bag he's helping hand out includes salad, pasta and a meat dish.
"We've been cooking Monday, Tuesday. We came in this morning at 5:30 and we're still going. All my cooks in the back are still rocking and rolling," says Cracchiolo.
The drive-through has been a hit -- a line of cars could be seen stretching far down West Main Street.
 


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