A husband and wife in Austin, Texas have been honored as heroes for nourishing neighbors-in-need by hosting a community fridge outside their restaurant.
Now, the owners of Nixta Taqueria are feeling a boomerang of good karma, after the community found out their business was in trouble.
In 2019, Edgar Rico and Sara Mardanbigi opened Nixta Taqueria in East Austin, an area known as a food desert—where options for fresh produce and groceries are scarce.
They weathered the pandemic by offering curbside delivery—and their compassion came to life when they became the pilot location of the new Austin Free Fridge Program.
Edgar and Sara began replenishing the community fridge sometimes upwards of 20 times a day with everything from fresh meals to ‘hydration packs’ during heatwaves.
It became a lifeline for many folks, and the couple were happy to keep it stocked.
But this summer they were forced to shut operations due to an electrical issue, which they said was caused by “city oversight”.
They knew that with so many people relying on them they had to figure out a solution. A week later, they created a GoFundMe page—and in two days surpassed their $80,000 goal.
“It’s the best feeling in the world when you can tell that people have your back,” they wrote on the donation page where a stream of comments provided praise and encouragement.
“Help is there—and asking for it isn’t anything to be ashamed of.”
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Strangers and customers stepped up to support the taqueria, saying thank you for taking care of the community during winter storms, heatwaves, and pandemics. Donors contributed $118,000 so far. One wrote:
“The feeling I get when I read those words is, ‘We got you.’’’
The restaurant is back up and running, with Edgar and Sara relieved that they can continue paying their workers and serving customers (but with limited capacity through the construction period).
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“More than anything, it affirmed my belief that there is this unspoken bond and connection that we have with one another that transcends the day-to-day.”
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