Augusta business owner aims to fill your bowl and soul

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A downtown business is following through with its pledge to feed those who need it most on the last business day of the month for the next two years.

Toaste of Augusta has partnered with the Project Refresh Shower Day at the Department of Public Health.

Adding Toaste to the community line-up offers a real ‘restaurant’ experience and helps connect with those who are often overlooked.

“I just wanted to make sure that I had food. Now I have Dom, so I don’t even have to think about it. I used to have to think, I need volunteers here, but that’s a lot to take on. This is what Dom does,” said Rev. Lisa Ann Wheeler with the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Wheeler is talking about Dominik Cartrel, who owns Toaste of Augusta. It’s his second time working with the other community partners for this particular event.

“We just want folks to come down and enjoy themselves, no judgment whatsoever. If you know somebody that’s in need of a good meal, sit down, and we’ll take care of them,” said Cartrel.

Cartrel also provides a service called “God’s Grits,” where every month he opens his restaurant up to whoever needs a plate of food at no cost and no questions asked.

“My events are normally averaged about, say, right at 100 was my most. The last event we had here was 250 people. So I saw the need. It was very eye-opening, simply because it was word of mouth. There are a lot more people that actually need our assistance. Not so much as homeless but so many that people are in different situations,” said Cartrel.

He’s giving his community an experience many take for granted.

“We wanted folks to have a nice dining experience,” he said.

He compared the experience to buying a car.

“They didn’t know if I had a million dollars in the bank or if I had $10 in the bank. They treated me like an individual. And that’s how I treat folks, when they come inside my restaurant, no matter what dollar amount, I still want to provide the same experience,” said Cartrel.

Cartrel said the experience is a gift.

“I didn’t know so many folks had kids weren’t eating a hot meal, or just a meal in general,” he said.

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