Dandelion Café is a friend of GMA after they appeared on the show last summer as part of GMA’s quest to find the best breakfast in America. The café went head-to-head with The Breakfast Klub, another Houston staple, in a fried chicken and waffles cook-off, but Dandelion Café was the winner!
ABC News correspondent Mireya Villarreal was live at the café on Friday to present the owners with a big surprise to help them get back on their feet after the storm.
SEE ALSO: Dandelion Café beats The Breakfast Klub on best chicken and waffles on ‘Good Morning America’
Have you ever tasted waffles made with cornbread? Or fried chicken made with chorizo and creole seasonings? There’s a reason why this recipe won best breakfast in Houston!
The café was without electricity, refrigeration, and customers for nine days.
“We probably lost about $3,000 worth of product,” owner Sarah Lieberman said.
“Not knowing when we would be able to go back to work. Not knowing how long we would be without work,” employee Gigi Pierre said.
Being closed for nine days, employees were left without paychecks.
“It’s devastating. Our employees are one of the main reasons we’re so sucessful,” owner JC Ricks said. “They come in everyday, work just as hard as we do, if not harder, and really help us support a dream that we’ve had.”
“They’re like family at this point,” Lieberman said.
RELATED: ‘GMA’ highlights Pearland’s thriving local businesses as part of ‘Main Street USA’ series
Pearland was highlighted on a national scale on Friday! “Good Morning America” featured several local spots, including Vallensons’ Brewing Company, Segura Western Wear, and Killen’s BBQ.
Finally this week, Dandelion Café reopened with a limited menu.
“It’s definitely a sigh of relief being back open and then seeing people come right away. It’s just back to business as usual,” Lieberman said. “We didn’t lose any of our employees, so that was just a relief for us that we didn’t lose anybody either.”
During GMA’s appearance on Friday, James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd and his wife Lindsay Brown — the directors of the Southern Smoke Foundation — surprised Lieberman and Ricks with grants for their employees.
The Southern Smoke Foundation is a non-profit organization that responds to events just like Beryl to put money into the pockets of food and beverage workers who need it most.
CashApp also heard about Dandelion Dandelion Café’s story and wanted to help. They gifted the owners an additional $10,000 to help them bounce back after this storm.
“This has been a really stressful season for us. Every little bit helps. This really is amazing because it will help us take care of our employees,” Lieberman said.
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