Louisville restaurant in Valley Station encouraging people to 'pay it forward'

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- People in south Louisville are going out to eat and feeding others at the same time.

There are tickets at Gorilla Bob's that are already paid for, so anyone can come in and grab one for a free meal.

Buy a meal, give a meal, that's the idea at the restaurant in Valley Station.

"I just want to see people eat," said Bob Raymer, owner of Gorilla Bob's.

Tickets that are already paid for are posted on the wall, so anyone can get a free hot meal. If someone is hungry, but doesn't have any money, they can rely on the help of others.

"There are people at home that are scared to leave the house, because they don't have a whole lot of extra money to spend," Raymer said.

Raymer also has a book with 10 to 15 more paid meals, but even if there weren't anymore tickets, he said he'd still help someone out.

"It runs down, I fill it up," Raymer said. "I fill it up, but it never runs down because people see them and they want to participate. Everyone wants to be a part of it."

Raymer said people took it and ran with it. The community of south Louisville is consistently stepping up for others.

On Monday, someone bought a hot brown to brighten someone else's day down the line.

"It always makes me cry," Raymer said. "We take care of ourselves out here. We always do. I don't know that any other community in Louisville doing it right now. I encourage them to."

On the other side of the parking lot, Raymer said China Dragon is also doing something similar. That restaurant is closed on Monday, so owners didn't have a chance to share their message with WDRB News.

For Raymer, he wants to make sure his community is fed, whether they're having a bad day, week or year.

"I could be one of those people," Raymer said. "We're all a check away, and just because at that moment you don't have the money doesn't mean you don't deserve a treat, you don't deserve to go out and eat and enjoy a good meal."

Gorilla Bob's Grub Shack is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays, and noon to 11 p.m. on Saturdays. To learn more about Gorilla Bob's, click here to visit the restaurant's Facebook page.

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