St. Clair Shores restaurant sets off chain reaction of lunches being sent to Coast Guard

A St. Clair Shores restaurant owner is among those in metro Detroit helping the government works affected by the shutdown. 

Since 1962, Gilbert's Lodge has been serving up burgers on Harper Avenue near Nine Mile -- and this week they extended their service to members of the nearby Coast Guard. 

Recently, owner Louie Bricolas was chatting with one of his loyal customers about the partial government shutdown.

"[The customer] was talking about coming by and getting some lunches to send to Coast Guard," Bricolas told us. Members of the Coast Guard are working but not getting paid. Bricolas decided he wanted to take lunch over to them, too. 

He stopped by the St. Clair Shores Coast Guard on Monday and is drumming up support with other restaurants in St. Clair Shores.

"There's been a few restaurants that have contacted me already, asked me for the phone number to call them, tell them they want to bring down lunch this day or that day. Hopefully we'll be able to fill them up until all this is over with," he said. "These guys take care of us when we're in trouble on the water, when we're in trouble on the ice; they're always there for us. It's the least we can do is help them out.

"Regardless of what happens in Washington, D.C., communities like ours is what makes America. ... We take care of our own."

Restaurants and companies have also banded together to provide lunches and a food pantry to TSA agents at Detroit Metro Airport.