Diner auctions off artwork after closing due to COVID-19, gives proceeds to another struggling restaurant
Mary鈥檚 Gourmet Diner, a restaurant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, had to close for good after coronavirus restrictions halted business.
But that did not stop Mary Haglund from helping another business on the way out.
Haglund auctioned off the iconic paintings hanging from the walls of her diner.
鈥淭here were 29 paintings and they were cartoons created for me and my restaurant,鈥� she said.
Haglund posted some of the paintings on social media and she could not believe the response.
鈥淚 was like okay this painting is up for auction and people would start having bidding wars!鈥� Haglud said.
Haglund made $5,000 from the paintings in her diner. Instead of taking the money as a parting gift for herself, she gave it to La Botana, a local Mexican restaurant.
鈥淲e were talking the other day and she asked if it had been hard on you guys. We said, 'Yeah, we are already four months behind on rent,'鈥� Rigo Velasquez, with La Botana, said.
La Botana is Haglund's favorite Mexican restaurant in town. She's become great friends with the owners, July and Rigo.
鈥淚 lost my breath. I had to sit down, man. Not only her, people who walked in with $100, $200, $300 bucks,鈥� Rigo Velasquez said.
Haglund said it was the least she could do. She couldn鈥檛 see her friends lose their business they worked so hard for.
鈥淲hen you can pay it forward like that, it鈥檚 not even a choice. Of course, I鈥檓 going to help these people. This is a family-owned business,鈥� Haglund said.
In August, a new restaurant is expected to take the spot of Mary鈥檚 Gourmet Diner.
Michael Millan, who was the majority owner of Mary鈥檚 Diner for the last two years, is opening Mojito Latin Soul Food.