Halifax Restaurant Owner Creates A Burger That Gives Back
HALIFAX–Nova Scotians have opened their hearts and homes to those who have lost everything to the devastating wildfires over the past week. But David Nicholson can empathize with these victims easier than most.
Twice in the span of a year, the owner of Sydelles Fish & Chips lost nearly everything to a fire. First, in 2019, Nicholson was in the process of moving and was storing most of his belongings in a garage that would go up in flames.
Just a year later, the original Sydelles, located in Bedford, burned down. Thanks to fundraisers and help from the community he was able to quickly reopen at his current location in Lower Sackville.
“It’s always nice to buy new things. But you can’t replace memories,” Nicholson commented on what it’s like to rebuid after a fire.
“You can’t replace memories; you can’t replace your kids being young, the pictures and photos. But the thing about fires, or catastrophe in general, is it brings us together. Especially for us Nova Scotians.”
Now Nicholson is giving back to those in need. He has created the Benevolence Burger, which contains five types of cheese and fresh ground beef. Such a recipe must taste great, but what’s most important is where the sales will go. The burger costs $10, and $6 of every sale will go to a family who has experienced property loss because of the fires.
Nicholson said it was one of his friends who suggested Sydelles create a brand new menu item to get people excited about the fundraiser.
“I have gotten so much support to help me get this new business going,” said Nicholson. “And I thought this is a great opportunity for me to be able to help my community that’s affected.
“At first, I thought I’ll donate a portion of every family pack of fish and chips sold. And my buddy called me up and said, ‘what you need to do is create something specific for this cause’. And he actually came up with the idea of coming up with a new idea for the fundraiser.”
Nicholson decided to sell a new burger because, hey, who doesn’t like hamburgers? And so far, the fundraiser has been a massive success. In just five days, Sydelles has sold 350 burgers. That’s $2,100 raised. And the fundraiser will keep going throughout the month of June.
Nicholson plans to use the money to help his next-door neighbour. Miraculously, Nicholson’s house in Hammonds Plains survived the fires, but the people next to him weren’t so lucky.
“I happen to know my next-door neighbor as a gentleman who has lived there for like seventy years; a long time. He grew up there and he and his wife have lived there for 30-something years,” explained Nicholson.
“I don’t have a personal relationship with them, even though they’re my next-door neighbors. But I saw that a friend of mine is looking for a place for them to stay right now. If I could give all that money to this elderly couple that lived on that road, who was so severely affected, and they lost all their photos and all their possessions, that would be a big help.”
When asked of how he is dealing with the stress of his house being in a fire zone, Nicholson says he is putting his energy into being productive.
“I put all my focus into work. I am very blessed to know that my house is still standing,” he said. “Right now, as I’m talking to you, I’m going to drive to the checkpoint and see if I (can return home).”
Nicholson is also encouraged to see how the community has rallied around the Benevolence Burger. The fundraiser wouldn’t have been a hit without people spreading the word. And Sydelles original Facebook post has reached 250,000 sets of eyes. A number that has stunned Nicholson.
“The amount of support that we’ve had from the community on this, and people remembering how I was affected by fire… and the number of messages that I’ve gotten from people; all I can say is we’re Nova Scotians. We help people.”
The Benevolence Burger also wouldn’t exist without the help of others in the business community. Drew Alexander and Sean McDonald, two managers of Sobeys at Larry Uteck donated a “substantial” amount of meat for the burgers.
Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].