Lansdale Tavern aims to serve 100 Thanksgiving meals to neighbors in need

For the second year in a row, the team at Lansdale Tavern is trading their holiday shifts for community service, closing their doors on Thanksgiving Day to provide free meals to neighbors in need.

Co-owners Buddy Harris and Julie Palermo launched the effort last year with a goal of feeding 50 people. That number grew to 70 by Thanksgiving morning. 

This year, the Tavern is aiming even higher — 100 meals — with the entire staff volunteering their time to make it happen. 

Meal pickups will be held Thanksgiving morning between 11 a.m. and noon at the Tavern, located at 839 W. Main Street in Lansdale. Residents facing hardship are encouraged to email [email protected] with the subject line “Thanksgiving” to request meals, with a suggested limit of four per household to reach as many families as possible.

    Photos from Lansdale Tavern's 2024 event (Credit: Lansdale Tavern/Facebook)

    Photos from Lansdale Tavern's 2024 event (Credit: Lansdale Tavern/Facebook)
  

  

While the Tavern’s Thanksgiving volunteer roster and supplies are full, Harris said the restaurant is still supporting additional community causes this season. 

Donations are being collected for a neighborhood food drive benefiting Manna on Main Street, and the Tavern is adopting three local foster families for Christmas.

    

The owners plan to share more about those efforts on social media in the coming weeks. Harris said he has made it a personal goal to help fulfill the foster families’ wish lists — requests that include basic household items such as sheets, pillowcases, and a vacuum cleaner.

“It is a tough time of year for many,” Harris said, adding that the Tavern is deeply grateful for the continued generosity of the community. “There are so many food drives, so many people in need, and we just want folks to know we’re thankful and that we’ll have more ways to help soon.”

Harris said, as of Thursday, 70 people have already reserved meals. 

For more information, visit lansdaletavern.com or call 215-362-0460.