Hi! My name is Nathan Tune! And I love food, cooking food, and most definitely love EATING it! Food is LIFE!

I've always found it so beautiful how a meal, be it simple or extravagant, has such an extraordinary ability to bring people TOGETHER...

And that's something else I love... PEOPLE.

My Journey with Food and People:

I have always loved cooking and sharing food with friends and family. Over the years, my "skills" have continued to develop as l have learned and grown in knowledge, both from "how-to YouTube videos" and largely from the many influences throughout my life.

Starting with my grandma, to the old mothers of Zion in the church growing up, to spiritual grandmothers and so many others I have had the honor and privilege to know and learn from — many of whom have already passed on.

Nevertheless, I find it is my duty to let their memory live on through me in every way I can because I believe that's how we get better at dealing with the loss of our loved ones: by allowing them to continue to live on through us each and every single day. The things they taught us, the wisdom they have shared and instilled in our lives. It's about legacy.

The Influence of My Grandparents:

My grandpa and great grandpa "Papa Tune" also played a huge role in my love for cooking and people.

- **Great Grandpa Franklin Tune** would always be cooking something delicious. He shared his food with friends, family, and neighbors and raised money for children's hospital charities. The day he died, he had been out helping his brother.

- His son, my **Grandpa Stanley Wayne Tune**, instilled in me a strong nature for loving and helping people and to go about doing GOOD. Not only because this is what we believe as Christians — that it is our calling to SERVE one another — but because it has always been a core belief for my grandparents and their family.

Back in the day, things were different. While there was a lot of bad, there was also a lot of GOOD. People used to stand for something. They believed in, stood FOR, and LOVED each other. Ask any old person most will tell you how it was a different time, how small knit communities were there for one another, and even when they didn't have much for their own self, they always somehow had enough to share.

Core Principles and Life Lessons

Because… *"It is more blessed to GIVE than to receive."* — One of many core principles instilled in me by my grandparents.

They worked hard, earning everything from the sweat of their brow, and through the years probably gave away more than they ever earned because you cannot out give God!

In what unknowingly were the final days of my grandpa's life, I asked him if he regretted anything or wished anything had gone differently.

He told me **"I have no regrets."**

He always taught me that it was better for someone to do harm to us than for us to do harm to others. He could not bear the thought of ever genuinely doing anyone wrong.

My Love for Food and Cooking:

He loved food so much and always encouraged me in my cooking endeavors. When I'd have a recipe flop, he'd say,

**"practice makes perfect!"**

I won't say I'm perfect by any means, but through the years, the more I cook or bake, the better my recipes seem to get.

I learn something new every single time.

Growing up, I loved watching chefs like Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay, Julia Child, Alton Brown ("Good Eats"), Gordon Ramsay, and Robert Irvine - anything concerning food!

From the time I could stand or walk, and even before that, I was always trying to get myself up to the kitchen counter or peep my head on the stove top to see what savory goodness was being cooked. So much so, that one year for Christmas I literally wanted an Easy Bake Oven!

I always thought I was weird for that until I came across an interview where Bobby Flay shared he wanted an Easy Bake Oven as a kid too — and he got one. Look at him now!

Why Open a Restaurant? Why Can I Make It Work?:

As mentioned earlier, I've had the honor and privilege to cook for and feed friends and family at our table, and they've enjoyed it as much as l have.

I have worked in fast food twice. Having worked there recently, I noticed something: while I enjoy meals from such places occasionally for convenience, I always prefer a home-cooked meal because it tastes better and is more filling!

**REAL food! REAL people! REAL connection...**

There is a disconnect in fast food between the customer and the business, and even between the customer and the employee.

People just don't talk to each other anymore. They don't care for each other or take the time to… We live in a world where we want more and more at a faster and faster rate, and in that process, we are LOSING SO MUCH...

We've lost CONNECTION - with ourselves and with each other.

Come & Eat — A Place of Community:

Taken from Isaiah 55:1-2:

* "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

* Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness."

I want the restaurant to be a place of COMMUNITY — a place to feed not only your physical body but your mind and soul mentally and spiritually.

My spiritual grandparents, Brother Thurman and Sister Pat Ward, would feed everyone at their table. I grew up having many meals with them, but I can't recall a single time we ate at their table without also taking in the bread of LIFE, which is the LIVING word.

Brother Ward firmly believed that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

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The Vision for the Restaurant:

I want to serve it family/buffet style, seating one family dining table at a time - no menu, one price. You come in, have a seat at the set table, get served right away, and eat until you're full.

I want it to look and feel as little like a restaurant as possible - like going to grandma's house.

That place we long for that no longer exists, where we can come and eat and not be overwhelmed by the chaos of the outside world - a place to rejuvenate physically and spiritually.

A place where, when the crashing waves of life become too hard to bear, you will have a seat at the table with a home-cooked meal awaiting you there.

Can I Make It Work?:

I believe I can. I believe I will. I believe in my heart that THIS - something REAL and AUTHENTIC - is what many are LONGING for.

If you feel the same and would like to help fund this venture, I invite you to do so.

Current Status and Needs:

We have begun some construction with hopes to open by mid/late spring at the latest, but much is left to be done:

- Majority of flooring replaced due to building vacancy

- Wiring issues fixed

- Ceilings and drywall repaired due to floor leveling

- Deck repairs, new steps, and building an accessibility ramp

- Appliances partially purchased; more needed

- Stock and inventory, dishes, silverware, glassware, dining tables

- Necessary licensing and health permits

We will see how far we can get on our own and start where we can with what we have because we are determined and excited.

More Than a Business — A Ministry:

While opening as a business aiming to be profitable and successful, we are first and foremost a ministry with a primary goal to serve others.

I want to offer free food to everyone as much and as often as possible - hopefully at least one day a month starting out, especially on Thanksgiving and Christmas!

I LOVE the holidays, and serving people on those days is something beautiful. Everyone should have somewhere to go to enjoy a nice hot meal with good people TOGETHER.

SO... If you believe and feel the same, whatever you choose to donate to this cause is greatly appreciated.

I hope to someday see you at our table, serving YOU a home-cooked meal straight from MY heart — because that's the only way I know how to serve it.

**The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you SHALOM.** — Numbers 6:24-26