Del Ray Pizzeria Hosting Benefit Dinner for Slain Family Member

Del Ray Pizzeria Chef Eric Reid is hosting a benefit dinner for the family member of two of his dishwashers who was recently murdered in Honduras, according to Don Rockwell.

Claudia Yaneth Membreño Gomez, daughter of DRP dishwasher Enma Gomez and sister to dishwasher Elder Gomez, was gunned down in her home while serving dinner to her four children, according to Tegucigalpa newspaper El Heraldo. The children are now staying with family in Alexandria.

Reid has prepared a special menu for a benefit dinner to be held 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26 in Del Ray Pizzeria’s private upstairs dining area.

The dinner costs $40, with $20 going directly to the children and a charity aimed at raising awareness and halting violence in Honduras and Central America. The pizzeria’s owners have agreed to match every special menu dinner with $20 of their own money.

The pizzeria will also contribute 80 percent of Nov. 26 proceeds in the restaurant to the Gomez family.

“In the restaurant business, we are all family,” Reid wrote on Don Rockwell. “The backbone of our family is unfortunately underrepresented and most times, not spoken for. Without that strength, no restaurant could open [its] doors. Sadly, tragedy struck our [family’s] heart at DRP. … More tragically, this violence plagues our brothers and sisters from Central America everyday. It touches everyone. Not just in DRP but in every restaurant. It should touch every person. That is our mission now, to make more people aware of the struggles that face our foundation every day.”

Reid will be donating 100 percent of his salary on Nov. 26 and the servers and bartenders have agreed to give up 100 percent of their tips on the evening to benefit the family.

Those interested in attending the benefit dinner should call Del Ray Pizzeria at 703-549-2999. More information is available at Don Rockwell.

Del Ray Pizzeria is located at 2218 Mount Vernon Ave.