VERGENNES — Starting July 1 at Three Squares Café, a new sandwich series called Guestwich is turning food into a force for good in honor of a friend lost too soon.
At the top of each month, the popular downtown breakfast and lunch spot will partner with a notable name from the food industry to create a special sandwich, with proceeds benefiting a cause chosen by each guest.
The first charity will be the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – Vermont.
After losing their friend Nolan Streeter, 22, of Barre to suicide last month, owners Scott Collins and Jody Hayes were left looking for a way to alchemize their grief into something positive that could honor the bright young man.
Reflecting on Streeter’s passing, Collins said he was struck by the outpouring of love at his funeral, where hundreds gathered to remember him. “It’s often the people who think they have no support who actually have the most support,” Collins said, speaking to the deceptive feelings that mental health struggles can create.
That observation helped shape Guestwich. Collins turned to his own community — chefs, restaurateurs and other food industry friends he has met over the years — to create something that could raise money and bring people together.
The concept itself was even inspired by someone within the food community. Restauranteur Rick Gencarelli, who first launched a similar series at his award-winning restaurant Lardo in Portland, Ore., will be one of the farthest-flung guests — though he does have Vermont ties, having once been the chef at Shelburne Farms.
The series’ first sandwich, “The Streeter,” was created by Burlington chef Frank Pace, owner of August First and The Great Northern Catering. It features crispy fried chicken thigh, whipped ricotta, local honey, Mama Lil’s Peppers and arugula on a house-made brioche.
Additional guests in the Guestwich lineup are being kept a surprise, with Collins and Hayes planning to reveal each partnership on social media throughout the summer.
Mark your calendars for the first Guestwich, which will take place on July 1.
