Denver restaurant offers free meals to people grieving their moms this Mother's Day

A Denver restaurant is doing something special for those grieving their moms this Mother's Day.

For many families, Mother's Day means flowers, brunch and phone calls home. But for those grieving their mothers, the holiday can feel especially lonely.

In honor of Mother's Day, Zane's Italian Bistro is offering free meals through Saturday to anyone who has lost their mother.

What began as a TikTok post quickly turned into something much bigger.

"I'm going to buy anyone who has lost their mom dinner at my restaurant," owner Zane Anderson said in the social media video.

Since posting it, Anderson said hundreds of people grieving their mothers have walked through the doors. Some brought photos, others shared stories. One woman even brought her mother's ashes.

The idea came from Anderson's own experience losing his mother, Gayle, in 2019.

"It's a hard time of the year," Anderson said. "If I could make somebody happy and make them feel special during this hard week, it's worth it."  

For many diners, the free meal became more than dinner. The restaurant transformed into something closer to a support group for grieving sons and daughters trying to navigate a holiday centered around mothers.

"There are people out there that care and there's others that are going through the same thing," Anderson said.  

Among those diners were Dan Snider and his wife, Adrienne, who came after seeing Anderson's post online.

Dan Snider said his adoptive mother, Jean, changed his life after taking him in from foster care as a child. He said losing his mother was one of the hardest experiences of his life.

"She'd always pick up that phone, and she'd be so happy to hear from me," he said. "My mom was my world."

His wife, Adrienne Snider, said Mother's Day can feel especially painful, even while raising her own children and grandchildren.

"Mother's Day week is hard, especially the day of," she said.  

Instead of brunches or celebrations with their mothers, she said many grieving families spend the holiday visiting cemeteries.

Adrienne Snider says food often becomes deeply tied to memory and grief because so many mothers show love through cooking.

"I love my mom. She was an amazing cook, an amazing baker," she said.  

Anderson said the emotional response to the free meals has surprised even him. The longtime restaurateur said he understands firsthand how lonely grief can feel, especially on holidays built around family traditions.

"You never know what someone sitting next to you is going through," Anderson said.  

Even as restaurants across Denver struggle with rising food, labor and operating costs, Anderson said some things are bigger than money. 

"It's worth everything," he said. 

And the giving will continue beyond his dining room. Anderson said on Saturday he is also teaming up with a local organization to provide meals for about 35 mothers and families in need ahead of Mother's Day, including families experiencing homelessness.  

For Dan Snider, the experience served as a reminder to cherish every conversation and every moment with loved ones while you still can.

"Spend as much time with her as you can," he said. "Love her."  

And while he says the Italian food was comforting, he admitted some things can never truly be recreated.

"It's good," he said with a smile. "But it's just not my mom's."