2 Toronto restaurants are offering free meals to those in need. But some say they shouldn't have to

Two Toronto-area restaurants are offering free meals to those in need this holiday season as the affordability crisis continues to push more residents to the brink.

The meals are being offered as food bank usage skyrocketed this year both in the city and overall in Ontario.

"Everybody is struggling for food. And people, especially the middle class, are not even able to pay their bills after working two jobs," said Rajesh Chamoli, owner of Samaira's Kitchen in Leslieville. 

Chamoli's restaurant began offering free meals a month ago. Since then, it has provided more than 650 meals to those in need, he said.

"We thought, what is something that we can give back to the community? And that's how we started," he said. 

Those who come through their doors for a free meal are mostly people from a nearby seniors' building and those living in community housing, he said. 

"People who are homeless, things like that. I've seen the same people for five weeks in a row now," he said. 

But the cost of food has been rising for residents and restaurants, and Samaira's is under increasing pressure, said Chamoli. 

According to the Who's Hungry report from the Daily Bread and North York Harvest Food Bank showed that more than 2.5 million people used a food bank in Toronto from April 2022 to March 2023 — a 51 per cent increase from the previous year. 

The report says food bank visits in 2023 are anticipated to surpass three million. 

Food bank use is growing at the provincial level too. A November report by Feed Ontario, a collective of hunger relief organizations, found the number of people who used food banks in the province went up by 38 per cent from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023. 

Another business offering free meals is Twilight Family Restaurant and Bar in Scarborough. In an Instagram post on Dec. 1, the restaurant encouraged those going hungry to send them a message.

"It's not the first year that we've been doing this, we've done it the past five years," said Vanie Narine, who helps run the restaurant owned by her husband.

During the pandemic, the restaurant also donated meals to healthcare workers.