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Local restaurant to give out free Thanksgiving meals, continue late owners tradition

Troy restaurant owner dies after cancer battle Ruben Pelayo, owner of El Sombrero in Troy, died Friday afternoon after a battle with cancer, the restaurant shared on its Facebook page Saturday morning. (El Sombrero Mexican Restaurant Troy via Facebook)
(El Sombrero Mexican Restaurant Troy via Facebook)

TROY — A local Mexican restaurant in Troy is continuing a long-standing holiday tradition of giving out Thanksgiving meals, despite the death of the owner and a kitchen fire that caused the restaurant to remain closed since mid-October.

El Sombrero will serve Thanksgiving meals from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, Nov. 23 at the St. Patrick’s Soup Kitchen at 25 N. Mulberry St.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Local restaurant keeping late owner’s holiday tradition of giving back alive despite kitchen fire

Despite the obstacles they have faced in recent months, the staff at El Sombrero is working to keep the owner’s, Ruben Pelayo, annual tradition of serving free meals on Thanksgiving day.

“Ruben made a promise to his mom when he left Mexico that he would do this,” Murphy Howe, coordinator of the Thanksgiving community dinner and friend of Pelayo, told News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott when covered previously.


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