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Local Restaurateurs Receive Restaurant Neighbor Award

Missouri Restaurant Association

The Missouri Restaurant Association (MRA) is proud to announce that Robert and William Greene, owners of Village Inn Restaurants in Springfield, Mo., were selected as recipients of the 2009 Restaurant Neighbor Award for the state of Missouri. On an annual basis, the National Restaurant Association (NRA), and founding partner American Express, honor restaurant companies that have gone above and beyond in giving back to their local communities. Four national winners and approximately 100 state finalists are honored for their charitable work.

For the Greenes, this prestigious award recognizes a tradition begun in 1979 when the brothers were asked to host a pancake breakfast fundraiser for a local church. Thirty years later, their Pancake Ministry is still going strong. “We have fun doing the events,” noted Robert Greene, “and it gives us a chance to personally touch the people in our community.” 

The Pancake Ministry has raised countless dollars for churches, schools, scouts, and an impressive list of additional worthwhile causes. Village Inn Restaurants offers a turnkey event, providing the pancake batter, sausage, butter, syrup, a flattop grill, promotional posters, and the personalized tickets. The Greenes, along with their staff, are often involved in the set up and cooking for each event. In these difficult economic times, the brothers have done more than their limit of three events per month, recognizing there is a greater need. “We have a hard time saying ‘no’,” says Robert

“To be selected from such an outstanding pool of restaurateurs in Missouri for the Restaurant Neighbor Award is truly an amazing achievement, and a wonderful example of the American people at their best,” says Bob Bonney, chief executive officer of the MRA. “Who knows the level to which others will be inspired due to the acts of generosity and kindness shown by Robert and William Greene and their Pancake Ministry.”

 

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