Southern Restaurant in Soddy-Daisy invites the community to enjoy a free meal at the restaurant Thanksgiving Day from noon to 2 p.m.
"It's just a way to give back," said Jack Wood, who owns the restaurant along with his father Fred and brother Jeff. "We're a family-style restaurant, and on Thanksgiving it's just like family."
Jack Wood, co-owner of Southern Restaurant in Hixson, will serve a free meal on Thanksgiving Day from noon to 2 p.m. for diners with nowhere else to go.This is the fourth year the restaurant has offered a free Thanksgiving meal, serving traditional favorites including turkey and dressing, green beans, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, pumpkin pie and tea.
All employees working that day are volunteering their time, said Wood. While there is no charge to eat, the restaurant will be accepting donations for the Alzheimer's Association of Chattanooga.
"Most people who come can afford it, they just don't have anyone to eat with," he said.
The restaurant typically gets around 200 diners at its Thanksgiving meal and raises around $1500-$2000 in just two hours, said Wood.