Jasper's Restaurant workers offer their shifts to JJ's employees

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Someone took care of Marvin Lewis when Jasper's Restaurant burned down in Waldo some 30 years ago -- now he wants to take care of the chefs at JJ's.

When Jasper's burned down, other local chefs stepped up to let Lewis work some of their shifts. It allowed him to retain his income while Jasper's was rebuilt. 

Lewis wants to do the same thing for JJ's. He organized the chefs at Jasper's and informed his owner, Jasper Mirable Jr., of the group's offer.

RELATED | Fund created for JJ's Restaurant staff: http://tinyurl.com/azetf4y

Other employees at Jasper's did the same. Mirable said 24 workers at his restaurant have offered to let JJ's workers fill their shifts. 

"I'm talking servers, cooks, bus boys, hostesses, dish washers -- who have come to me this morning on their own," Mirable said.

Many of those workers offered to let their brethren at JJ's take Friday and Saturday night shifts when the restaurant is at its busiest and the tips are the best. 

"They didn't say when they would stop, either," Mirable said. "So that's really something else."

Mirable said he plans to organize other Kansas City restaurant owners to come up with other ways to help JJ's.