Zēk’s 37 celebrated one year of pizza and impact
By KADIE TAYLOR
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE — Zēk’s 37 celebrated a year of business on April 22 with an event hosted by LaFayette Main Street.
“Today is more about a place to eat or one year in business, this is about the community, this is about our town, this is about celebrating our people, our staff, our small businesses and how much has been accomplished,” said LaFayette Main Street Executive Director DeAnna Hand. “Over the past year, Zēk’s has become more than just a place to eat, it’s become a place where people gather, friendships grow, stories are told, people catch up, meals for the needy are served and a sense of community is present. So small businesses like Zēk’s are really the backbone of our downtown.”
Zēk’s 37 Co-Owner Veronica Roesly shared her and her husband’s passion for creating a restaurant that would have a community impact.
“God has placed this on our hearts, and so first and foremost, Jerry and I wish to give all the glory and all the thanks to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and God,” she said. “None of this would be possible without Him, and every door that opened and every challenge we made it through, every blessing that we didn’t even see coming, it was all because of Him. One year ago, this was more than just a business idea, it was a step of faith… We are proud to announce that through the Big Serve, we have now served over 2,508 meals. That’s not just us, that’s churches, organizations, groups and families coming together across LaFayette and across Chambers County, to serve side by side.
“The beauty of it is, it doesn’t stop there, through the Pay It Forward program that we have, that was funded by the community partnering with us, and we’ve been able to provide 1,040 meals to people who needed a little extra during the week. Last summer, through our SNAP initiative, when the government shut down, this was 100% funded by the community, and we served 238 meals to families who needed it the most. So that is what this place is all about, that love, action and community coming together, and we are so thankful for the partners who helped us make this possible.”
LaFayette Main Street sponsored ice cream made with the recently added Zēk’s 37 soft serve ice cream machine for those in attendance and Faith Roesly Sandoval sang a worship song.
Both LaFayette Mayor Kenneth Vines and Chambers County Commissioner for District 2 Douglas Jones Sr. shared their excitement for the one-year anniversary of Zēk’s 37.
“We are thankful to have someone like you in our community who is not just about business, but about people, so we thank God for that,” Jones said. “You made a great impact, not just the city of LaFayette, but in the whole county.”
“Thank you for choosing the city of LaFayette,” Vines said. “I tell everybody all the time, you all don’t know how important you all are here in this city. When you are here, you not only represent yourself and your business, but you represent the entire city.”
Zēk’s 37 is located at 23 LaFayette St. S., LaFayette. For more information, visit Zēk’s 37 on Facebook.
