Born in India, Ram Mehta grew up in New York and enjoyed plenty of delicious New York pizza throughout his childhood. He moved to Plano, working in IT for most of his adult life. One day he wandered past a restaurant for sale and decided to purchase it so he could sell the pizza he missed eating. After a few months of trying to do things on their own, Ram and his business partners brought in a pizza chef from New York. In-Fretta was born.
In-Fretta has been open since 2018, and has always included a component that many restaurateurs would never even consider: Food is given for free to anyone who says they need it, no questions asked.
“My mom passed away last year, and she was always involved in charity. She always told me to make sure I was giving back,” Ram shared. “That was deeply ingrained in me already, but when she passed away, I promised her that I’d carry on her legacy of giving back.”
In-Fretta has two locations, one in Plano and another in Irving. A sign posted outside both locations says food will be given to you for free if you can’t afford it. It also includes Ram’s name and phone number with the encouragement to call him if the cashier refuses to give out free food.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ram’s business model has evolved. He continues to give away free food to anyone in need, but he also has been giving away free food to organizations for weeks now, and will continue to do so until the pandemic ends. Frisco Police Department, Plano Fire-Rescue and Baylor Scott and White are some of the organizations In-Fretta has fed for free.
“A couple of nonprofits reached out to me, and all of a sudden we were serving 300 people free of charge. On [April 2], we served over 2,000 people. We ran out of food, so we made more food. Orders are still coming in, but we won’t stop making food,” Ram said.
If you or your family is in need of a free meal, all you have to do is call In-Fretta at 214-618-5431 or go into the restaurant and let them know your order. Whether you are head of a nonprofit organization serving individuals affected by COVID-19, a struggling business owner or someone who just lost their job due to the pandemic, Ram and his team are overjoyed to serve you.
“This community made us. We are who we are because of our customers. When things are tough for them, we are going to help them,” said Ram. “God gave me an opportunity to help, and why shouldn’t I?”
In-Fretta >In-Fretta
5588 TX-121 #300
Plano, TX 75024
