MANSFIELD, Texas — The struggle to find baby formula is real. Just ask the moms, as WFAA did, who are showing up at a popular Mansfield restaurant, because it's become an unexpected, but welcome, source.
"We ordered as many as we could that first day," said Jessy Kennedy, manager of Our Place Restaurant on W. Debbie Lane in Mansfield.
Late last week, the restaurant learned its usual food distributor, U.S. Foods, did have Gerber infant formula available. They ordered 15 cases at first, 16 cases Monday, and another 18 cases arrived Tuesday morning. By noon, Kennedy said they had seven cases left.
They are offering the baby formula for free.
"This is just something that we've noticed parents are stressing over and dealing with. And it's something that we wanted to reach out and do whatever we could," said Kennedy. "I've had people drive two hours to get over here to get a can of formula. That's how scary it's gotten."
Midday Tuesday, Whitney Tanner was one of those desperate, but now thankful, moms. Her drive from Saginaw took more than an hour. She hasn't been able to find baby formula any closer to home.
"This means a lot," she said with a jar of formula in her hand. "And it's been hard. It's really hard."
"I have gone to Tom Thumb. I have gone to Kroger. I've gone to Walmart. It's very, very frustrating to say the least. It really is. But, even this one can, this will last me two to three weeks. So that's a big thing for me," she said.
The formula is for her six-month-old son Elijah, who was asleep in his car seat in the Our Place Restaurant parking lot, accompanied by his sister, two cousins, and their grandfather--now, with their jar of formula, ready for the one-hour trip home.
As for continuing supplies, Kennedy says Our Place will continue to offer as much as it can get.
"If you are struggling to find formula please don't hesitate to reach out. Call the restaurant. Ask for Jessy or Sandi or Benji and we're here to help you guys," she said.
Near the cashier at the restaurant, one of the souvenir shirts you can buy says "a friend is like a piece of pie...you can never have too many."
The same apparently goes for a can of baby formula too.
Parents looking for formula can call Our Place at 817-473-9996.