On the first Wednesday of every month, something beautiful happens at Korea House Restaurant in Austin, Texas, where lines stretch out the door not for a sale or special event, but for an act of pure generosity. Owners Vivian Newton and Pok-Cha Kim, who opened Austin’s first authentic Korean BBQ restaurant in 1988, volunteer their time along with their entire staff to serve free meals to anyone who walks through their doors. The remarkable tradition has recently surpassed 15,000 meals served, with no questions asked and no requirements other than showing up hungry.
Despite having to dip into their personal savings to continue the monthly tradition, Newton and Kim have no plans to stop what they consider “God’s work.” The free meals serve everyone from university students needing financial relief to homeless individuals who find not just nourishment but also a taste of home, especially Korean Americans who are moved to tears by familiar flavors and the sound of their native language. Tips and donations are accepted but never expected, and the money collected often goes directly to help the homeless in their community. For Newton and Kim, their Christian faith drives them to feed not just bodies but souls, proving that the most powerful business model isn’t about profit, but about the profound impact of generosity shared one meal at a time.