Richmond cafe fights food insecurity with free meals on ‘Duke’s Tab’

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A vegetarian café in Richmond is taking a creative approach to addressing food insecurity: by offering free meals to anyone in need through a program called “Duke’s Tab.”

The initiative, run by Gold Lion Community Cafe, allows customers experiencing hunger to order from a special menu at no cost. Options include breakfast sandwiches, burgers, French toast and salad.

Matthew Narsinghani, the owner of the vegetarian restaurant, said he named it after his emotional support dog, Duke, who was with him during some of the most difficult periods of his life, including struggles with homelessness and food insecurity.

“I had Duke through some of the most challenging times of my life,” Narsinghani said. “We faced eviction many times throughout my childhood.”

Since launching in 2023, "Duke’s Tab" has provided free meals to more than 1,700 people and has earned Narsinghani multiple awards. But for him, the effort is deeply personal and rooted in a sense of duty.

“There's a lot of folks in the community that maybe don't feel safe going to certain places where they can go get free food, or maybe they don't have a kitchen,” he said. “It's up to us as people, as a collective group of society, to really take care of one another.”

Looking ahead, Narsinghani hopes to expand Duke’s Tab by partnering with other restaurants across Richmond. He plans to pay local eateries to offer free meals and widen the safety net for those in need.

 “There are three things a human needs to survive: food, water and shelter,” Narsinghani said. “We want to be part of at least providing some of that to some of these community members.”