Each year on Veterans Day, Calhoun’s restaurants serve area veterans for free. Calhoun’s expects to serve nearly 4,000 veterans free food valued at well over $50,000 this Veterans Day (Friday, Nov. 11, 2016).
Veterans past and present can choose from a complete menu at Calhoun’s featuring the restaurant’s signature BBQ pork, steak, award-winning ribs, chicken and catfish on Veterans Day. The free Veterans Day meals are available from open to close at all Calhoun’s locations.
“Every day of the year, we are grateful for those men and women who serve our country,” said Bart Fricks, Chief Operating Officer for Calhoun’s and the Copper Cellar Family of Restaurants. “So on Veterans Day, we want to do something very special and treat these men and women like the heroes that they are.”
Preparation for Veterans Day at Calhoun’s started in August. It takes the restaurant three months to get ready for the 4,000 service members who will take advantage of the free meals at Calhoun’s. Virtually all of the Copper Cellar Family of Restaurants’ 1,100 employees play a role in the annual Veterans Day program.
“This is a labor of love for the entire Copper Cellar Family of Restaurants family,” Fricks said. “We give back to the men and women who serve our nation, but they give far more back to us. Every employee of Calhoun’s has a story to tell about a veteran they have served on Veterans Day ̶ the stories these men and women tell our staff are amazing. It’s a day we look forward to all year long.”
There are nine Calhoun’s locations throughout Knoxville, Maryville, Oak Ridge, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Lenoir City. On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, the restaurants will open at 11 a.m. and the free menu for past and present veterans is available at all locations. Veterans must provide proof of service to qualify for the free meal.
For the past 40 years, the Copper Cellar Family of Restaurants have been known as “the taste of Tennessee”. The Knoxville Chamber of Commerce awarded the Copper Cellar Family of Restaurants its prestigious Pinnacle Award for the positive impact the company has on East Tennessee through programs like its free Veterans Day meals and Making Strides For More Birthdays.
The Copper Cellar Family of Restaurants includes Copper Cellar, Calhoun’s, Smoky Mountain Brewery, Cherokee Grill, and Chesapeake’s. With locations in Knoxville, Maryville, Oak Ridge, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Lenoir City, the company and its 1,200 employees are proud to be the must-visit place locals take their out-of-town family and friends to truly experience the taste of Tennessee.
For restaurant hours and more information, visit www.Calhouns.com.
