For the past seven years, Danny and his wife Oksana have opened the doors of their restaurant, Our Kitchen, generously sharing their hospitality and home-cooked meals with guests of Simpson’s shelter on Christmas morning.
Danny Ziegler is the owner and operator of Our Kitchen, a Minneapolis neighborhood restaurant that has offered a welcoming atmosphere and delicious fare to guests since 1941. His grandfather purchased the restaurant in 1971, and Danny has owned the family business for the last 27 years.
Danny first connected with Simpson through Brian Bozeman, a former Simpson shelter manager, who wished to host a special activity for shelter guests on Christmas Day. Danny gladly stepped in to help: “I said, ‘they can come here.’ I cooked them a nice holiday meal. They could order anything off the menu,” he says.
Each year since, about 70 Simpson shelter guests have enjoyed a free meal on December 25. “Most of the guests are really nice and very appreciative,” says Danny.
Danny teams up with another Minneapolis business, Patisserie 46, that provides pastries and treats for the annual breakfast. Our Kitchen customers also provide financial donations to help cover the cost of food for the meal.
A personable and kind-hearted pair, Danny and Oksana enjoy helping people and providing the meal to Simpson guests. “Some of the guys will come in during the summer and ask, ‘are we still going to do that meal at Christmas?’ They remember it and look forward to it. That makes me feel good,” he says.
Simpson staff and guests are grateful to Danny and Oksana for their generosity and lasting partnership. “One of our values at Simpson is the creation of a collaborative community. Danny and Oksana are representative of the powerful community that surrounds or our work,” says Simpson’s Executive Director Steve Horsfield.