meals
.Greg's first job ever (busboy), in college (food delivery) & after college (doorman) were all in the hotel/restaurant industry. His post-graduate civic efforts began when he took some students for milkshakes. Since then, he has coordinated & hosted (or co-hosted) more than 300 events to bring people of different ages, races & backgrounds together. The groups have ranged in size from 5 to 500. The events have included brunches, dinners, banquets, galas & parties. They have taken place in the USA, Canada & Africa. For his efforts, he has received some meaningful honors -- including an honorary degree in Hospitality Management. His efforts to team up with restaurants & hotels - using food & beverages to bring communities together - have been featured by media like Nation's Restaurant News & Beverage World. The TV show, Good Morning America, buried a Time Capsule which chronicled his efforts to bring diverse people together for brunches. Greg has been on the 'other side' of the microphone as well -- conducting interviews and writing articles for many publications around North America, including a Q&A with a restaurant chef. (Scroll down for next paragraph)
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The books based on Greg's story (The Silhouette Man for adults, The First Thirty for young readers, and The Milkshake Man - the picture book edition for children) highlight how group meals & banquets/galas help bring a community together. Given the prominence of restaurants in Greg's story, the workbook based on The Milkshake Man is fittingly called One Lunch, and its cover features an illustration of a people meeting for lunch at a restaurant. The books, companion workbooks & posters based on Greg's story have been used as part of internal efforts (i.e. for their own staff or customers) & external efforts (i.e. as gifts for local students & teachers) by many restaurants & other F&B-related groups like Bistro Provence, Wisconsin Restaurant Association, Dash of Salt & Pepper, Texas Restaurant Association, Freshline Foods, Tosca Restaurant, Fuddruckers Kerrville, Attman's Deli, Bradley Dining Services & McDonald's. GRIL ordered copies of The First Thirty for an entire staff Common Read. Greg has been invited to speak at events for F&B-related audiences including events for staff of General Mills, Coca-Cola North America & a convention for companies who make & sell ice cream. In some cases, F&B-related groups like The Republic of Tea have sponsored his speech at a school. He also has spoken with people (i.e. Food for Thought event) about the value of shared meals & some of the concrete steps they can take if they wish to host a meaningful one on their campus or in their community. On a personal level, he has spent time working & volunteering on farms, taking cooking lessons &/or shadowing chefs in the kitchen. During the 2020 Pandemic, Greg teamed up with a baker in Minnesota on a meaningful project that involved high school graduates receiving a graduation cake, and a copy of The First Thirty (Scroll down for F&B-related book reviews)
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JOE PRESTEJOHN, OWNER, CABOT'S ICE CREAM & RESTAURANT: " [The Silhouette Man is] a fun reminder that products like ours put smiles on people's faces."
LENARD ZOHN, FOUNDER, AUTISM EATS: "....[The First Thirty] shows what is possible when we celebrate difference and include others at our table.... [the story of] a man who found his calling to bring people of diverse backgrounds together and build much needed community and understanding."
JIM KALLIERIS, PRINCIPAL, WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ILLINOIS: "The Milkshake Man ... is an ideal all-school read for (elementary) schools that want every student to feel welcome at the lunch table."
LENARD ZOHN, FOUNDER, AUTISM EATS: "....[The First Thirty] shows what is possible when we celebrate difference and include others at our table.... [the story of] a man who found his calling to bring people of diverse backgrounds together and build much needed community and understanding."
JIM KALLIERIS, PRINCIPAL, WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ILLINOIS: "The Milkshake Man ... is an ideal all-school read for (elementary) schools that want every student to feel welcome at the lunch table."