City Barbeque served 16,416 free meals to veterans and troops on Veterans Day, continuing its decade-long tradition of commemorating the day by serving military men and women free of charge. All day on Monday, November 11, all 46 City Barbeque locations treated veterans and members of the US military to a free sandwich, two sides, and a regular beverage.

All visiting veterans and troops also received a handmade card thanking them for their service; all cards were made by a child in their community. “This [card] makes a special day extra special,” says one veteran; the brand’s social media mentions were filled with vets sharing their cards and thanking the children that made them. City Barbeque worked with local schools and youth organizations in the month leading up to Veterans Day to create and collect the cards.

City Barbeque teammates also went out into their communities to serve veterans outside the restaurant. In Cincinnati, teammates partnered with FC Cincinnati (www.fccincinnati.com) players and staff to serve barbeque to nearly 100 homeless veterans at City Gospel Mission (www.citygospelmission.org). Each veteran at this meal also received a thank-you card from a child in Cincinnati.

The 16,416 meals served on Veterans Day 2019 eclipses the brand’s previous record of meals served on Veterans Day (12,340 complimentary meals in 2018). City Barbeque also raises funds year-round for organizations such as the Resurrecting Lives Foundation (supporting the estimated 20–25% of troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with traumatic brain injury) and Mission 22 (dedicated to awareness and treatment of the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injuries that lead 22 veterans to take their lives every day).

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