One Bistro is starting construction on its new storefront restaurant in downtown Xenia. The organization will move into one side of the Toward Independence building and share space.
One Bistro has been providing meals and outreach services for the last three years from its initial location in Miamisburg.
Robert Adamson is the founder and executive chef for the group. He says One Bistro has been focused on helping people who might not know where their next meal is coming from.
“The soup kitchens are doing a great job meeting the needs of people in complete desperation, but there was nobody meeting the needs of food insecurity,” he said.
Adamson says the organization came to Xenia for a reason.
“I’ve been a chef for 30 years. I took a little break and had a roofing construction company. And I worked in Xenia on some storm damage and I saw a lot of people who were struggling. And ever since then, it’s been on my heart,” Adamson said.
According to a report from the USDA released last year, Ohio is one of the worst states when it comes to hunger problems.
One Bistro is volunteer-run and uses a “pay-what-you-can” model for its meals. Customers are asked to pay between $6 and $9 or volunteer their time in exchange for food.
The organization will continue serving lunches from its food truck each Thursday in Xenia until they can move into the new location in late July or early August. They have received donations from area groups as well as community development block grant funding from the city to pay for renovations.