For the fourth year in a row, Morris-Baker Funeral Home provided first responders with a barbeque lunch last Wednesday to show appreciation for the service they provide to our community.
This year’s event had a change of venue when Firehouse restaurant founder Tom Seaton and his son Justin signed on to co-sponsor the event. Hundreds of police officers, firefighters and EMS personnel picked up food at the Firehouse, which reopened for the first time in weeks to help facilitate the event.
“We’re just thrilled that Tom Seaton has come on to join us as a legitimate partner,” said Preston McKee, owner of Morris-Baker. “We reached out to them because we think of ourselves as a family-owned Johnson City operation with a lot of history, and we thought of them as that. It just speaks to their commitment to the community.”
Firehouse has been open for 40 years, and the recent closure due to the COVID-19 outbreak has been the longest pause by far in the restaurant’s long history. Firehouse owner and founder Tom Seaton said it was great to get the restaurant back up and running last week, especially since it was for such a good cause.
With curbside pickup set to begin this week, Seaton said the break was unusual after 40 years of non-stop service, but it was also productive.
“It’s been real different,” he said. “We’ve tried to spend our time getting ready for what’s next, making sure that when we do reopen that it’s safe and people can have confidence in coming in here as they always have.”
The Seatons were excited about inviting back all their loyal customers, starting with some of the most important.
“Obviously the people that are coming to pick up food today are some of the most important people in our community, our first responders and public safety officials,” said Firehouse Chief Operating Officer Justin Seaton.
