Random acts of kindness inspired Mad Wolf Mongolian BBQ’s programs to help feed those affected by the economic impact of COVID-19.

Mad Wolf Mongolian BBQ has been serving build-your-own style Mongolian barbecue to the Fullerton area for over 30 years. As a family-owned mom-and-pop restaurant with a great selection of dishes to choose from, Mad Wolf has become popular with the locals and the customer base is extremely loyal.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy has been impacted severely, with many people becoming unemployed and businesses receiving the negative impacts of the pandemic as well.

According to Mad Wolf Mongolian BBQ owner William Diaz, this impact has not stopped some loyal customers from showing support to help the restaurant stay afloat. He shared one story of a long-time customer who had tipped him $100, insisting he accept the large offering.

Diaz also experienced an act of giving that he found deeply touching during a trip to In-N-Out. Diaz shared that one evening he went through the drive-thru at the fast-food restaurant to order a meal for his family. When he pulled up to the window to pay, an employee explained to him that the car before him had paid for his entire order.

Inspired by the random act of kindness and the love and support offered by his customers, Diaz developed a plan on how he could give back to the community. Diaz knew that many people had lost their jobs or were otherwise affected by the economic impact caused by COVID-19.

He developed two programs within the restaurant to provide food to those experiencing financial hardship. One of the programs consists of offering the entrees, which are priced at just over $12, at a price starting at $7 or more depending on what a customer could afford. He dubbed it 7&UP, which he felt offers discretion for those in need. For this option, instead of making your own custom entree, he developed a specific menu for customers to choose from.

The other program he designed to help the community is offered on a first come first serve basis. He vows to offer a set number of free meals to those who request it. He bases the number off of how much he is able to afford, a number which averages at 3. He then posts this number for customers to see on social media each day. In order to raise the number of available meals, he implemented a tip jar for customers to donate to, which will raise the number of available meals depending on how much is collected by the community.

Diaz shared, “Every day we struggle, but we get support, we talk to our customers. They’re blue-collar workers, small business owners, or we know that they lost their job. Some are a nurse at the hospital working on the front-line, so we wanted to give back because we are so blessed. They take care of us, we want to share the joy with the community. We can’t help a lot, but we want to cheer people up.”