Enough to feed an army? Naples caterer provide Hurricane Milton meals

It was just a few hours before Hurricane Milton warnings were issued about staying inside when chef-caterer Ricardo Lory of Creative Catering received a call on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 9, from the National Guard.

The initial request was to prepare and deliver 1,000 sandwiches by noon to Doubletree at Bell Tower Shops in Fort Myers, where troops and reserves from the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard were stationed.

“It was really scary in the beginning, but I immediately took the job because I didn't want them to go without food,” said Lory.

His first action was to source as much food as he could from his nearest supplier, thinking that as the storm approached, more might be requested.

Lory was en route to Interstate 75 when the first tornado warning was issued. He described his car as the only one driving toward Fort Myers while watching hundreds of vehicles in the opposite lanes evacuate.

He was also extremely frightened because somebody sent him a photo of a tornado on the highway while he was driving on it.

“By the grace of God, I made it to the other side.”

That day marked the start of preparing and delivering what turned out to be thousands of meals at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with the number increasing daily.

He assembled a team of nearly 10 so his kitchen could run 72 hours non-stop.

The only hitch?

When Hurricane Milton hit, he lost power but was able to use his two food trucks to run the kitchen's generators.

By day 2, power returned. His food trucks were then implemented to feed the community because many residents didn’t have power.

“I'm running two different operations at the same time, and I'm trying to balance both. The thing was, after I delivered dinner around 8 p.m. and drove back to my kitchen, it was time to prepare the 5 a.m. breakfast delivery and have lunch ready by noon.”

He estimates a final count of nearly 5,000 meals distributed during nine roundtrips to Fort Myers.

“I'm really proud of my team standing up three days at a time. I'd ask them ‘Do you want to go home? They're like, ‘No I'm good. I can work another shift.’

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Before the last drop-off, a soldier asked for Lory’s business address. Lory thought it was for the required payment form.

Instead, “an official came by with a fleet of jeeps and many military people who were in that hotel. It was crazy in a good way.”

After spending a few minutes chatting with Command Sgt. Maj. Jorge C. Garcia and Army Lt. Col. Harvey E. Rocha, Commander of the Florida Army National Guard's 260th Military Intelligence Battalion, whose troops were standing at attention, the group took a picture in front of one of Lory’s Chef Global Kitchen food trucks.

He was thanked and presented with a certificate of appreciation signed by Garcia and Rocha dated Oct. 12.

“In recognition of your exemplary service and steadfast support to Task Force 260 during the Defense Support of Civil Authorities operations following Hurricane Milton. Your commitment to providing customer care and dedication to supplying nourishing meals played a crucial role in sustaining our Soldiers’ strength and readiness throughout this demanding mission. Your efforts demonstrate a remarkable partnership between our military and the community, embodying the true spirit of service and American patriotism. Thank you for your dedication and support in this critical time.”

“It was touching for them actually to come down and meet our team,” Lory said, who finally got some shut-eye on Sunday afternoon.