ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — On the surface, Bunny's and Park Tavern could be seen as rivals - bar restaurants catering to loyal neighborhood crowds who savor good food, cold beverages and familiar faces.
But true community always wins out over competition and Bunny's is urging customers to reach out and help in a time of need. On Tuesday, the bar and grill will donate 20% of all sales to support the families of Kristina Folkerts and Gabe Harvey, whose lives were cut tragically short when a driver plowed his SUV into a crowded Park Tavern patio on Sunday, Sept. 1, and three nurses who were hospitalized with severe injuries.
Folkerts, a longtime server and member of the Park Tavern family, and Harvey, a Health Unit Coordinator at nearby Methodist Hospital, were killed and nine others injured in the incident.
Bunny's General Manager Jason Rackner said the two establishments are actually very close, telling KARE 11 his staffers frequent Park Tavern and spend their money there when off duty. While friendly competitors, that side of things takes a back seat when something like this happens.
"They've always stepped up for us, and we've always stepped up for them," said Rackner, whose father Gary is the longtime co-owner of Bunny's. "More than anything else, we want the attention to be on the Park Tavern staff... they are all suffering too."
Bunny's says the proceeds from Tuesday's benefit will be split evenly among five GoFundMe accounts set up for those who died and the others who were injured but survived.
Along with donating a portion of sales, which Rackner hopes will hit $4,000 or more, Bunny's will offer $8 Tavern Burgers all day. He anticipates customers will step up to support others in a time of crisis.