Amy Eldridge and Doug Miller, proprietors of San Carlos Park’s FK Your Diet (pronounced eff-kay, FK denotes foster kids; Miller was one), were driving home to Southwest Florida from the annual National Restaurant Show in Chicago when they heard about the Texas school shooting on the radio.
The couple immediately changed direction, detouring to Uvalde, the city of 25,000 where 19 young children and two teachers were gunned down at Robb Elementary School by 18-year-old Salvador Ramos.
Eldridge and Miller started phoning restaurants from their car.
“It was not what I expected: when I got somebody on the phone at one restaurant, half of her staff was out because they lost loved ones in the shooting,” Miller said.
“With all our other obligations, we decided we could donate $5,000. We believed it would be better if funds were given to local restaurants in the area, buying meals for people affected in the community.”
Miller also offered to cook and clean at the restaurants, letting Eldridge handle ser vice.
Heading to Texas meant missing a long-planned dinner scheduled May 25 for the area’s foster families at FK’s Cape Coral location. Their staff immediately stepped up.
“We’re blessed. We have so much community support. Many of our friends and customers have reached out. That’s what pushed us to make the trip.”
(FK Your Diet has locations at 1402 Del P rado Blvd. S., Cape Coral; 239-360-8955 and 19630 S. Tamiami Trail, San Carlos Park; 239-245-8877; fkyourdiet.com) Elizabeth Valdez helms Driven Foodie Tours, an offshoot business inspired by guests who book Driven SWFL, the transportation company she co-owns with her husband, JC.