Community grateful for free Thanksgiving dinner at Top Notch 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — It was a packed house Thanksgiving Day at a local South Bend restaurant, Top Notch, as they offered a free breakfast or Thanksgiving dinner to the community at no charge. 

The family-owned spot opened in 1996 and Top Notch manager, Brylie Meister, said when they moved buildings around a decade ago, they decided to start up the holiday tradition as a way of saying ‘thank you’ to the community that has supported them through the years. 

“Thanksgiving is more than a meal to us here. We want it to be kind of our way of giving back to the community, giving back to the customers who give to us all year… I think that it is something that the community really needed, I think it was something that really pulled everyone together and kind of gave people a chance to come out and, I know people are going through hard times, and so just a way to give back and have people come together,” said Meister. 

Customer Heather Rittenhouse said her family is in the middle of a move and didn’t have a table to sit at this year, so they gathered at Top Notch. She explained as she watched the other families around her, her biggest takeaway was that each person was there for their own reason, whether it was for food in their belly, a little cash saved, or to just be in a friendly place this thanksgiving. 

“…we are all community… there’s no one above or below… we all have the needs, even if it’s just loneliness and the need of a companion and some community… so, I appreciate Top Notch for opening their doors and doing what they’re doing for the community and for everyone,” said Rittenhouse.