A restaurant group’s quiet proposal to give back to the community has caught the public eye after a diner came forward with her story.

Management at the sister restaurants Rosa’s and Chopsticks last month launched a special deal for children in recognition of the tough economic times faced by many parents.

“I’m a foster parent and I know it’s a struggle out there nowadays,” said Lindsay Simmons, director of operations for the restaurants.

“We were brainstorming to find a different way of giving back, and I came up with this — the owners and the other manager, Dion Ming, thought it was a great idea.”

Ms Simmons proposed that children aged 12 and under get to dine for free on Mondays, barring high cost meals such as lobster, if accompanied by paying adults.

She also contacted the island’s public and private schools for the restaurants to be able to adopt, each month, a single parent and their child to get complimentary meals each Monday.

West Pembroke Primary and Happy Valley Daycare were last month’s recipients; Clearwater Middle School and Devonshire Preschool are this month’s beneficiaries. Ms Simmons said the only condition for those put forward by each school was that single parents be nominated.

“By next year, every public and private school will get a chance, and during the summer when schools are on break we will have the deal for foster children.”

Rosa’s has had more of a response thus far but both restaurants have been engaged.

Ms Simmons stressed that the establishments “don’t want any accolades”, but were simply glad to help out.

She was contacted after grateful customer Carmen Smith wrote to this newspaper.

“I want to say that it’s always a blessing to have restaurant owners that let me have free rein coming up with ideas, and the wonderful staff here as well,” Ms Simmons added, thanking owners Pamela Quarterly and David Roach, as well as Monday night staff Chantice Butterfield and Aja Jones.