Wes Choplin serves up more than food

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Nourishment for Lake Norman

Wes Choplin focuses on providing more than food

by Sara Coleman Photography courtesy of Wes Choplin

With the help of community donations, Choplin has been preparing hot lunches for children in need since August.

It’s often said food is nourishment for our body and feeding others is nourishment for our souls. No one understands this better than Wes Choplin, owner of Choplin’s Steak and Seafood. The wellknown restaurant feeds residents chef-inspired plates on a daily basis. But beyond the restaurant walls, Choplin is on a mission to ensure no child or family in our area goes to bed hungry at night.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, the focus shifted from filling tables nightly to providing for the community. By the time COVID-19 became a full-fledged crisis, the availability of food was becoming questionable. Choplin started receiving calls from residents asking if they could order food from his vendors since food staples, such as chicken and beef, were getting harder to come by at the grocery store. He immediately connected his vendors with local residents, and it was a win-win for both individuals stocking their freezers and vendors trying to unload food.

But then the lack of food availability intensified. Once schools went full remote in the spring and no hope of re-opening in the fall, it was no longer adults asking for chicken. Choplin found out children needed food and hot lunches. Something more had to be done.

In August, the restauranteur got to work and started preparing hot lunches for kids daily. At first it was for only a few, but then the demand grew. At its peak, Choplin’s was providing more than 100 hot lunches per day. The need hasn’t stopped. With school re-openings still in flux, the demand remains. Choplin’s is able to provide these hot meals because of the hard work of numerous volunteers who help him plate the food and deliver the meals. Choplin states “It’s our mission. We will keep doing it and trying to reach as many in the area as we can.”

This isn’t the only example of the community pulling together to take care of those who need a hand. Choplin’s also has a donation box in the restaurant lobby for items to donate to the homeless here in Charlotte. You can donate sleeping bags, tents, chairs— and Choplin regularly partners with programs to get the items distributed.

He will humbly tell you “I don’t want to even have a business or a restaurant if I can’t give something back.” And more bodies are getting nourished because of this dedication.

Interested in volunteering to help provide meals? Contact Choplin’s Steak and Seafood at 704.892.4800 and provide your name and number to be added to the volunteer list.