A proud Rochester graduate, who is now an attorney in Washington DC, is hoping to save one of his favorite restaurants - Nick Tahou, by purchasing the famous garbage plates for front line workers.

Mark Zaid has been going to Nick's since he was a a freshman at the University of Rochester in 1985. He even started a a Nick Tahou’s charity run with his Sigma Phi Epsilon Chapter that still continues to this day. Fraternity members run a mile, eat a garbage plate, then run another mile, with all proceeds going to charity.

"Like most businesses during this pandemic, Nicks has been hit hard," Zaid said. "Stories now abound that the business might be for sale. But we can do something to help Tahous, as well as the Rochester community."

The restaurant was serving 300 to 400 customers per day before the coronavirus pandemic. Now Tahou's is lucky to serve 150 on a good day.

The iconic building, built in 1900, was transformed from a railroad station to become the home of the famous Garbage Plate in 1918. It's now up for sale for $975,000.

Credit - Mark Zaid via GoFundMe
Credit - Mark Zaid via GoFundMe
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“There’s no succession plan with family members, so when you have that — god forbid something happened to me tomorrow — what would everybody do?” Tahou told Rochester First.

Zaid wants to help keep the doors of the iconic restaurant open. He's started a GoFundMe campaign, encouraging people to buy 2,500 garbage plates for front line workers and Zaid says he's buying the first 50 plates.

"Help us keep a piece of Rochester history alive, and also feed those most dedicated to saving the community," said Zaid, who is spreading the word on social media.

If you want to help save Nick Tahou, you can purchase a garbage plate or donate on GoFundMe to keep the doors open.

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