The spirit of holiday giving is alive in Manhattan Beach, where The Strand House has announced that it will provide free holiday family meals for 1,000 South Bay restaurant employees who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic.

The family-sized meals, which will be provided on Wednesday, December 23 and Thursday,
December 24, are a gift of the owner partners at The Strand House.

In Manhattan Beach and elsewhere, the hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, and, as a result of the most recent outdoor dining shutdowns, restaurants have been forced to again lay off employees over the holidays.

“My generous owner partners put together the funds needed to provide 1,000 deserving families with a beautiful family meal that will not only make their holidays a little brighter, but will also lift our teams’ spirits,” said Michael Zislis, a partner in The Strand House, in a statement.

The packaged “to go” family meals will serve four to six people and will include oven roasted turkey breast served with house-made gravy; old fashioned cornbread stuffing; buttery mashed potatoes; garlicky green beans; a winter salad with dried cranberries, pecans, feta cheese and a sherry shallot vinaigrette; and holiday bread pudding with cinnamon, caramelized apples, citrus soaked cranberries, and a whiskey butterscotch sauce.

To receive a meal, anyone who worked for a restaurant in the South Bay Los Angeles cities of Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, El Segundo or Playa Del Rey in 2020 and was laid off or had their employment terminated as a result of the pandemic, can email their most recent pay stub to [email protected].

The first 1,000 people to send in emails will be provided with a date and time to pick up their meals.

The drive thru pickup at The Strand House (117 Manhattan Beach Blvd. in Manhattan Beach) will take place between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on December 23 and 24.