- Rod Lewis, owner of HardKnocks Sports Bar and Grill
- Free Thanksgiving gathering for Padre Island community members
- For people who don't have anywhere to spend Thanksgiving
- People bring a smile and something to contribute for the meal
Rod Lewis and his daughter went through something that no one ever wants to experience - a sad Thanksgiving dinner alone at Luby's and no family around to spend the holiday with.
This was eleven years ago, and Lewis never wanted anyone in his community to go through the same thing on Thanksgiving.
When he became the owner of HardKnocks Sports Bar and Grill, he decided that his bar would not be fully closed on Thanksgiving like many other restaurants and bars.
“We’re not open, except for friends or family. You look like a friend or a family member so please come in. Let us feed you. We feed everybody," Lewis said.
He decided to offer up his bar as a place for members of the North Padre Island community to gather for free and share a Thanksgiving meal together.
But, he did not want to make his employees work too hard on Thanksgiving either. He told everyone to come with a smile, and bring a dish as well, if they can. If not, people can contribute, utensils, napkins, cleaning supplies, etc.
This is the 11th year that Lewis hosted his open Thanksgiving gathering. It's the sixth year having it at Hardknocks. The first year he did it, he opened up his home to friends and 27 people showed up to his house for Thanksgiving dinner.
"It was the saddest Thanksgiving we’ve ever experienced. Seeing all the different people that were there by themselves, alone," Lewis said. "The next year, I said let’s open the house up to any of those people that want to come and have Thanksgiving with us."
He said it gets bigger and bigger at HardKnocks every year. Last year, more than 300 people showed up, and this year, he planned for even more people than that.
This Thanksgiving, the doors opened at 11 a.m. Everyone paused and reflected on what they are thankful for through a communal prayer at 2:30 p.m. After the prayer, everyone enjoyed plenty of food and watched the Dallas Cowboys game together.
Lewis asks that everyone who attends works together to clean up the bar after the Cowboys game.
“My daughter has helped me for the last ten years. We cook, we have a good time, and then there’s no employees working besides two bartenders," Lewis said. "When we’re all set and done after the Cowboys game, we close and all the customers here stay. They help clean up, they wipe the tables, they help take out the trash. And then we go home."
Lewis truly sees it as a blessing to be able to open up his bar to friends and family on The Island and to get to meet great new people every single Thanksgiving.
He is looking forward to keeping up this tradition in the years to come.
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