Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Budda's Bakery and Grill in Pleasant Grove promotes kindness by offering free meals to those in need.
- Customers can purchase meals for strangers, which fosters community connection and support.
- The initiative, embraced since the bakery's opening, highlights the Hawaiian culture's emphasis on family and compassion.
PLEASANT GROVE — A Hawaiian bakery in Utah County is serving more than just sweet rolls — it's serving up compassion.
Budda's Bakery and Grill has become known not only for its buttery Hawaiian rolls, but also for its mission to "spread aloha" by helping those in need. The bakery encourages customers to pay it forward by purchasing meals for strangers.
A sign near the entrance explains the process: Customers can buy a meal and receive a ticket, which is then posted on a board. Anyone who is hungry and unable to pay can take a ticket and enjoy a free entree — no questions asked.
"It's the feeling of love, the feeling of compassion, the feeling of, you know, that we care for each other," said Jason Astwood, the bakery's chief financial officer. "Especially how things are right now in this nation, we want people to feel supported."
The board notes that taking a ticket and receiving an entree comes with one request: Pay it forward with a good deed.
"It's a way for people to feel connected to the community and to bless the lives of other people," Astwood said.
He said the initiative has been embraced by the community since the bakery opened two years ago.
"There's always tickets, all the time," he said.
He recalled recently seeing two women come in with young children, take tickets from the board, and receive meals, a moment that underscored the impact of the program.
"We kind of provided the medium for it," Astwood said. "And then our customers are the ones who are actually blessing the lives of other people."
Budda's Bakery and Grill has no plans to remove the sign or end the program. Staff say they hope the spirit of giving continues for years to come.
"In the Hawaiian culture, 'ohana' is the word that's used for family," Astwood said. "It goes beyond just your immediate family. It's your neighbors, a stranger. You want people to become part of your family almost automatically because you get adopted into the culture. I have a lot of aunts and uncles now that I'm part of this business. And so, that's the beauty of the Hawaiian culture."
