Newport Beach Post 291 was recently highlighted in the media for the attention its drive-thru food service is getting from the local community.
“We’re learning a lot of new things, because we’ve never done this before,” Jon Reynolds, commander of Newport Harbor Post 291, told ABC News 7.
Before the coronavirus and subsequent stay-at-home orders, Post 291 had a thriving yacht club and restaurant. Its leadership has had to rethink the way it does business and its drive-thru is one way the post is surviving.
The drive-thru service began March 21 and is so popular Reynolds says could continue indefinitely. The service operates in the post’s parking lot from 12-6 p.m. daily and the menu includes offerings for both lunch and dinner.
“Details of the takeout food service program are explained and daily menus are provided on the Post 291 website al291.com,” Reynolds said. “Offering this food takeout service achieves several important goals.”
Among those goals, Reynolds said, is that the drive-thru is an extremely valuable service to Post 291 Family members, other military veterans, and to the community by making available meals that are affordable, nutritious and delicious. The service also enables some Post 291 employees to be gainfully employed.
“This takeout food service is available to the public, and military veterans and their families as well as other community members are invited to make use of this resource,” Reynolds said. “Please help make this information widely known and available to other Department American Legion posts — and to all military veterans and Legionnaires and their families.”
Newport Harbor Post 291 operates a drive-thru food service in its parking lot during the coronavirus quarantine.
(Photo: Mike Berdine, Post 291 adjutant)
Author: Jared Morgan
Jared is the senior editor and web team lead for the Department of California and chair of its Media & Communications Commission. He became a member of the American Legion in 2014 when he joined Palisades Post 283 to find stories about veterans issues for a local newspaper while working as its news editor. He was soon brought in as 283's assistant adjutant and historian to help produce the post's award-winning community newspaper. Since then, Jared has used his media skills to help further the efforts of The American Legion in its advocacy of veterans and their families. Jared has also worked for several years to help revitalize the 100-year-old Santa Monica Post 123, formerly as its adjutant and as a member of its executive board, before transferring back to Post 283.