Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar To Treat St. Francis of Assisi Soup Kitchen in Harrisburg to Catered Lunch for More than 200

Soup Kitchen Reopens after Recent Vandalism, Arooga’s To Treat Those in Need to its Award-Winning Chicken Wings

At a time when all the attention is on itself, Arooga’s is turning its attention to the community.

Arooga’s learned that the St. Francis of Assisi soup kitchen was forced to close its doors last week after someone broke in and vandalized its interior with a fire extinguisher. The soup kitchen, which is operated mostly by volunteers, serves more than 200 people a day.

That same week, Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar, the Harrisburg-born, Harrisburg-based full-service casual dining restaurant, learned it was selected by Harrisburg Magazine as “Simply the Best” as winner for Best Wings and Best Sports Bar for the sixth consecutive year (in as many years of eligibility). Arooga’s was also recognized by The Sentinel as Best of the West Shore for Best Happy Hour and Best Wings.

But Arooga’s decided to put its celebration on hold while helping those in need. This Friday, August 8, at 12:30, Arooga’s and its team members will be serving a catered lunch at St. Francis of Assisi, featuring the brand’s award-winning original and boneless wings, to those who rely on the soup kitchen for a warm meal each day.

“After hearing about the loss suffered by the St. Francis of Assisi soup kitchen, offering our help was an easy decision to make,” said Gary Huether, Jr., president and co-founder of Arooga’s, who will serve those at the lunch on Friday. “As proud as we are of the awards, we’re more focused on being a great neighbor in this community that supports Arooga’s. We felt as a brand it was more important to step in and help by serving our wings rather than simply talking about them.”

The soup kitchen opened in early 1981 and is located in the lower level of the St. Francis of Assisi Parish’s education building at 1453 Zarker Street. The soup kitchen was able to reopen this week.

Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar is an innovative full-service casual restaurant and bar with a sports and entertainment focus that combines exceptional food and beverages, with unique concepts, and proprietary operational strategies. Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar was founded in July 2008, and currently operates eight corporate locations in Central Pennsylvania. Now, its founders are taking the “unique sports and entertainment restaurant & bar” concept national and are offering franchising opportunities to qualified single and multi-unit candidates. For more information, visit www.aroogas.com.