The Socially Distanced Picnic rules are outlined on a sheet of paper outside The All In Monday afternoon in Onalaska.
Harold MacDonald opens his box of take out at The All In Monday afternoon in Onalaska.
Harold MacDonald opens his box of take out at The All In Monday afternoon in Onalaska.
Danny Edward's, right, hands Gail Hopkins a box of take out at The All In Monday afternoon in Onalaska.
The All In, a mom-and-pop restaurant and bar in Onalaska, hosted a “socially distanced picnic” on Monday, where folks could come by and grab a free meal while remaining at least 6 feet apart.
The owners of The All In, Aaron and Devonna Bartlett, said they decided to put on the event to lend a helping hand to those being affected by the coronavirus pandemic and to offer a sense of normalcy for the folks who decided to drop by.
Anyone who needed a bite to eat could have dropped by the restaurant located at 1783 State Highway 508. They could pick up food to eat in their car, take it home or head over to Carlisle Lake Park to have a more proper socially distanced picnic.
It appeared that the Bartletts were equally interested in making sure that all parties went home healthy and that they cooked up a dish for everyone to enjoy.
The Bartletts cooked and served food from the backyard of the restaurant with latex gloves on and cloth masks tied over their face while a sign was out front outlining the social distancing measures to follow. Yellow tape roped off a path where folks looking to grab a plate could stand six feet apart.
Aaron was behind the grill serving up barbecued chicken with sides of potato salad, macaroni and cheese, a buttermilk biscuit and a cookie. He said he was prepared to serve about 100 plates on Monday but was ready to run down to the store if they needed more food.
About the tenth order into the socially distanced picnic, Aaron said he was reminded why he decided to do it in the first place. He said a husband and wife in their sixties came by to get four plates to go.
The wife told Aaron they were getting food for themselves and her parents who they hadn’t seen in a month because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“They agreed to meet down at Carlisle Lake Park and they were going to sit a table apart so they could at least talk to each other for the first time in a month. So that’s why I wanted to do it,” Aaron said.
Harold MacDonald, an Onalaska resident, drove over after he read about the socially distanced picnic online to pick up some food for himself and a fellow United States Military veteran. He said under normal circumstances he is a regular at The All In and has never turned down a meal from this particular establishment.
“You can’t leave this place hungry, they won’t allow it,” MacDonald said.
MacDonald said The All In doesn’t allow you to leave hungry jokingly, but it doesn’t stray far from the truth.
According to Aaron, he has served sandwiches for free to anyone who has asked for a meal since the restaurant closed due to the coronavirus and will continue to do so.
Aaron and his employees are no strangers to making charitable meals either. Aaron said The All In is open every Thanksgiving and Christmas to serve traditional meals at no cost for anyone who comes in.
Aaron estimated that 20 percent of all the meals he and his crew is making during the coronavirus pandemic are being donated.
It is, after all, how the restaurant got its name: They are “all in” for the community of Onalaska.
The All In is located at 1783 state Route 508 in Onalaska. The phone number is (360) 978-4631. Visit The All In page on Facebook for more information.
