Brown Bag Lunch: A Meal That Makes a Difference

Each spring, Casa Restaurants come together to make SCAN’s Brown Bag Lunch possible. It began as a personal project of Casa co-founder Tom Casaburo, operating out of the Casa restaurant on Fairfield. The project has evolved in going into the 38th year of partnership with SCAN.

In the same year as the 35th anniversary of the event, Tom Casaburo passed away in November. His dedication to SCAN signals a legacy of giving back.

“This was something he believed in,” Tom Parisi, Casa Director of Operations, said of the late Tom Casaburo’s passion for this event. “These are values we stand by. If we give back to children and help them, we are honoring the legacy of Tom.”

The Brown Bag Lunch has taken on many forms throughout the years. At first, it was more of a grab and go option taking up all of Casa’s restaurant on Fairfield. Then, for many years, it operated out of the Masonic Temple. Chef Al Tholen, Casa’s Corporate Executive Chef, recalls trying to haul all of the food in through the alleyways to get the event set up.

“There’s been an evolution through locations and the process operationally to have the event run smoothly,” Chef Al shared. “We’re perfectionists. Afterwards, we sit down and talk about what we liked and what we didn’t like – and it’s different with each location.”

The Casa team has the process down to a science now. The Brown Bag Lunch currently takes place at The Summit off Rudisill Boulevard, and they prepare as many as 3,000 lunches in one day. Making this happen requires a lot of moving pieces behind the scenes.

Chef Al and Tom Parisi work together to forecast how much food will be needed to prepare the lunches of pasta and meatballs with the famous Insalata Casaburo salads. They then bring in managers from restaurants across Fort Wayne to do a prep-day the day before.

On the event day, it’s a mad dash to the finish line as the kitchen starts rocking around 8:00 a.m. and the last lunch is served at 1:00 p.m.

After the event, the managers and owners have a tradition of celebrating with lunch and drinks. In a year like this, with as many curveballs as the restaurant industry has endured, this event means more to the team.

“Brown Bag Lunch is just exciting and the most personally rewarding to me of the fundraisers we do,” Chef Al said. “It’s an opportunity to get managers involved. An opportunity to give back . . . There’s five hours of energy and excitement all together and then we say, ‘Hey, we did it.’”

For Chef Al, this event holds a personal significance as he identifies with SCAN’s mission to protect children and strengthen families.

“My wife and I have always been committed to family and serving where we can,” Chef Al shared. “For 13 years, we served as foster parents. I’ve always thought that was an important part of who I am and what I do.”

You can order you own meal that makes a difference by going to the Brown Bag Lunch Page.