Photo via: Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch is an Oakland hometown hero.
From helping found a foundation that is dedicated to empowering children in the Bay area, to hosting youth football camps at his high school alma mater, to giving away 2,000 free water park tickets to Oakland kids, to offering free haircuts to students with good grades in his community, Lynch is and has always been about giving back to his city.
As a man of the people, Lynch has now purchased a classic Bay area soul food restaurant, Scend’s Restaurant and Bar Grill, to prevent it from closing down. The 79-year-old owner, Cassie Nickelson, opened the restaurant in 1967, and has decided after 50 years of serving authentic soul food that it’s time to retire. To make sure the neighborhood staple stayed open, Lynch purchased it himself.
“I’m comfortable with him and I like him,” Nickelson said.
What makes this purchase even more special is that Lynch use to buy food from Nickelson as a kid when she ran a catering business out of her apartment.
“When he was 9-years-old, he came across the street to get a hamburger and French fries. 25-cent French fries and a 75-cent hamburger,” Nickelson recalled.
Lynch is set to take over as the new owner in August. He plans on keeping the menu exactly the same. He wouldn’t be Marshawn Lynch if he didn’t.