‘Heart of Hospitality’ celebrates emergency service & hospitality employees by offering free lunch

In an ongoing effort to thank and celebrate the area’s “Heart of Hospitality,” Visit Cook County wants to thank the emergency services that keep our community and visitors safe. 

After introducing the ‘Coffee Break’ program in 2021, Visit Cook County recently rolled out another program named the ‘Lunch Break.’

From Feb. 23-25, 2023 emergency service employees and volunteers, as well as local hospitality and tourism workers, are able to get a complimentary lunch item from one of the following participating restaurants:

• Waves of Superior Cafe, Tofte – One sandwich or soup
• Coho Cafe, Tofte – One sandwich or soup
• Subway, Grand Marais – One free 6-inch sandwich or soup
• Trail Center, Gunflint Trail – One item under “sandwich” menu or soup

“In December, our area was hit by 60 mph winds and experienced power outages, we had downed trees everywhere, local buildings were damaged,” said Linda Jurek, Executive Director of Visit Cook County. “This is one way we can thank all of the community members that work hard to keep our area safe and welcoming, as well as the rest of our hospitality industry.”

Kjersti Vick the marketing and PR director for Visit Cook County said in an interview with WTIP that Visit Cook County is footing the bill and the board of directors wanted to “celebrate people that work in the hospitality industry. So this is just one of the many ways we do that.”

Visit Cook County said emergency service employees such as electricity employees and line workers, ambulance and hospital staff, volunteer EMS, firefighters, members of the Cook County Sheriff’s department, and plow truck drivers are eligible. Also eligible are all hospitality and tourism workers, such as front and back of house staff that work in hospitality-based industries like dining, retail, lodging, and activities. A short list includes servers, bartenders, housekeepers, receptionists, maintenance, cooks, clerks, trail groomers, managers, guides and so much more.

WTIP’s CJ Heithoff spoke with Kjersti Vick the marketing and PR director for Visit Cook County about the ‘Lunch Break’ program. Audio from the interview is below.

Kalli Hawkins February 23, 2023