A Fresno barbecue restaurant that usually counts on Thanksgiving to boost sales is taking a different approach this year.

Bernard Mendoza, co-owner and pitmaster at BenSmokin BBQ in Fresno’s Tower District, said he felt a calling to feed people.

Mendoza said his father, the “Ben” in BenSmokin BBQ, inspired him to pursue cooking. His father had suffered a major stroke, leaving him mostly incapacitated, but still able to write. Mendoza recalled:

“One day we were having a conversation and he was writing … he basically wrote, ‘You? A chef?’ And his face lit up. Within a couple weeks, I enrolled in culinary school.”

Mendoza started selling barbecue plates locally, eventually moving into catering during COVID and later opening the brick-and-mortar restaurant on Palm and Olive avenues. He and his wife, Rebecca, run the operation with a staff of six.

For this Thanksgiving, Mendoza said he wanted to do more than sell meals. He described a spiritual calling to feed people:

“Ever since I met my wife… one of our very first times hanging out, I was like, I hear these voices in my head. I think it’s God telling me that I need to feed people… we’ve done stuff pretty much from the first time that we met, handing out groceries to people and stuff.”

Viral TikTok Moment Shines in the Community

He posted a video on TikTok announcing plans to serve free meals, and the response from the community has been overwhelming. Mendoza said:

“Big tough-looking guys just coming out bawling telling me that this video really touched them… I just kept hearing this voice saying, it’s gonna be a thousand, it’s going to be a 1,000.”

Donations have poured in from local businesses and residents, including turkeys, potatoes, utensils, a large smoker from a caterer, a DJ, porta-potties, bounce houses, and desserts.

The Thanksgiving event will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at 1120 N. Palm Ave. Mendoza said the meal is open to anyone in the community, not just those experiencing hardship:

“People keep saying, oh, there’s some homeless people… The homeless people are welcome, but this is for the community… Pay your bills, man. Come on and have Thanksgiving on us.”

The menu includes turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, stuffing, dinner rolls, and desserts including pies, cheesecakes, and cupcakes. Any extra food made will be handed out to people nearby after service ends.

Mendoza said he wants the event to teach his children about community and giving back:

“This is Thanksgiving Day… We want to have a good time with the community. This is our Thanksgiving.”

His wife and staff are fully on board, helping prepare and serve the meals. Mendoza said:

“We consider this a family restaurant… My wife alone is like an army of five. Our whole staff… they’re all gladiators in it, man.”

Click here to volunteer for the event or you could also donated to their CashApp or Venmo.

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