MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Have you ever eaten at a restaurant where everything they serve is free?

Whatever your answer, Hope Cafe is such a place where you can have brunch and dinner five days a week absolutely free. It opened in May and is operated by the Salvation Army from the counties of Marion, Monongalia and Preston. Lt. Nicole Greenland, chef, said the mission is to feed everyone who is hungry.

“If you’re hungry it doesn’t matter,” Greenland said. “We don’t ask for ID. We are not asking for any income. You come and we serve you to the best of our ability. You don’t have to be homeless or you don’t need to have $ 1 million. All we want to do is if you’re hungry just show up and we’ll feed you.

They will give you something special that Greenland guarantees you will love.

On Wednesday, for example, brunch was a creamy tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. And then the dinners were served with lasagna, garlic bread and a garden salad.

On top of that, there is always fruit, cereal, and something hot to drink.

“There’s a saying that we in Jamaica say that if the food tastes good, that means the cook is stepping in,” Greenland said jokingly. “Not necessarily, we do not set foot in the food. This means that we do special preparation to prepare the food and cook the food so that when served it smells good. It looks good and it tastes good too.

Greenland said Hope Cafe likes to pair its dishes with the seasons, as it did with grilled cheese and tomato soup on a cold fall day.

But above all, she says, there is a fixed menu for the whole week and this relies on the Aldi supermarket, which gives the restaurant “a lot of donations”.

“Whatever happens Monday or Thursday, we are deciding what will be used for next week,” Greenland said.

The day’s menu item at Hope Cafe may change, but Greenland has said everything she and her team cooks is done with ‘love’.

The cook said brunch, which is a new dining option at Hope Cafe, is served Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Dinner is also from Monday to Friday from 3 p.m. to 5.15 p.m.

“And every other Sunday we have dinner here at the Hope Cafe starting at six,” Greenland said. “And we don’t just do dinner, we also have a karaoke night now. We make games and stuff, it’s just love. We just want to pour love into the food service and have fun and share.

You can find Hope Cafe in Morgantown, the address is 20 Scott Ave.

“We’re right on the hill from Hazel’s House of Hope,” Greenland said. “And when you get to the property, we’re on the safe side. You will see our Salvation Army sign and you will see the beautiful walkway leading to the Hope Café.

If you admire or feel inspired by all of the work the Salvation Army has done in Marion, Monongalia and Preston counties, there is a way to help, Greenland said.

“Christmas is here and we would love that for those outside – when you hear the bell or when you see the angels on the tree, remember to continue to support the Salvation Army mission and help us to let hope march on, ”Greenland said.