Local Restaurants Providing Comfort In Response To The Murrah Building Bombing

It is a day we have vowed to never forget. 28 years ago at 9:03 a.m. 168 innocent people lost their lives in the deadliest act of domestic terrorism our nation has ever seen.

“You saw the cars that looked like twisted coke and beer cans and the kids' toys and stuff from the daycare,” Ned Shadid said.

Within minutes, the Oklahoma Standard started shining through our state's darkest moment. Hundreds, if not thousands, nearby began pouring in to help, including those attending an Oklahoma Restaurant Association event three blocks away.

The local food industry pitched in the best way they knew how. They were on the ground with Oklahomans living their worst nightmare, but bringing them comfort through food.

“Someone in the crowd said well there's probably going to be people to be fed. I said, well then let's feed them,” Shadid said.

Shadid has been in the food industry since the ‘80s. He owns Ned Starlite’s Lounge.

The terrorist attack happened the first day of a restaurant expo show at what is now the Prairie Surf Studios. Shadid went from chairman of the show to coordinator of relief efforts for emergency crews. 

“We prepared food for them, and our purveyors put in the back of the cars and trucks and we delivered it down to those areas,” Shadid said.

Volunteers from local and chain restaurants worked around the clock for 18 days straight.

“We estimated that we were feeding somewhere between eight and 14,000 meals a day,” Shadid said.

Crews were working out of three kitchens and volunteers were coming from near and far to help. Their event space soon became a one-stop shop full of donations. Shadid remembers talking to a rescue worker from New Jersey.

“He goes when I got on the plane to come here he opened up his dollar he goes I had one dollar on me. He said I still have my dollar,” Shadid said.

Shadid tells News 9, serving others comes natural to him and that’s how he shows the Oklahoma Standard.

“You can serve somebody a meal at a table and go up to them a few minutes later and say how is everything. Oh, you love it? That's what hooks you on this business,” Shadid said.