Virginia restaurant delivers meals to first responders including ER doctors and nurses

CENTREVILLE, Va. —

To survive the impact of a viral pandemic that has crushed business, restaurant owner Sal Speziale had to pivot.

Speziale says, “We’ve never done deliveries. We’ve never done curbside pick-up.”

He also had to lay off about half his staff. But Ciao Osteria in Centreville remains open by delivering food for free to those on the front lines of the coronavirus battle.

“You always have to give back to the community. That’s what life is about,” says Speziale.

Speziale got this idea last week while it felt like the world was falling apart.

“We called Fair Oaks, the ER, is anybody bringing you any lunch? No, nobody they said,” says Speziale.

So he and his employees started prepping, making and delivery meals, lunch and dinner, to the emergency room at nearby Inova Fair Oaks Hospital.

Those first few trips touched a man who already has a huge heart.

Speziale adds, “It brings tears to my eyes because I’m watching their smiles. That’s just one less thing that they don’t have to think about.”

He can do this because loyal customers, after hearing about his philanthropy, started donating money. Lots of money.

Speziale says, “And tonight we are probably going to hit 20-thousand dollars.”

On the night we watched Speziale and his son deliver dozens of meals they had a surprise along with the chicken marsala they brought.

“We brought them ice cream, so they all started clapping. It’s a surprise so we are just going to keep surprising you every night and just watching you smile that just makes my heart,” says Speziale.

Kimberly Dillon is the Clinical Director for the emergency room.

“It’s truly amazing. I watch my team light up when they show up with all this food.” And we want the rest of the community to know much we genuinely appreciate this and thank them for all of the support,” says Dillon.

Inova Health Foundation President Sage Bolte adds, “It’s people like Sal and others who show up for us and encourage us and remind us that we have people in the community who support us and that truly lifts our spirits when it feels really tough.”

Sal Speziale knows all too well the burden of sacrifice and struggle.

“It’s called poverty. So, when we came to this country, we were so poor,” says Speziale.

This first-generation immigrant rose from poverty’s grip to become a U.S. fighter pilot. He recently retired from American Airlines after flying for 32 years.

“When those folks walk out of that emergency room and you know, we don’t go in there, and they go right back in there with a smile on their face, you know, that those are the heroes,” says Speziale.

For more information on Ciao Osteria’s efforts to raise money so they can continue to feed first responders, go here.