LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Two employees at DV8 Kitchen are taking the night off and heading to Rupp Arena, where Jelly Roll will be performing.
The restaurant gives second chance employment opportunities to those recovering from substance abuse, a topic Jelly Roll has been vocal about since the start of his career.
Employees wrote letters to the artist, asking him to visit the restaurant. It was then turned into a contest, with the winner getting a pair of tickets.
Marvin Eldridge has been an employee at DV8 Kitchen for a little over two years and won the contest. He says he is taking the night off to go see the artist with his best friend.
"I wrote a poem about the act of addiction and where I am at today," said Eldridge."You have to know where a person has been, to see where they are at and where they are going."
Rob Perez with the restaurant, says Jelly Roll is more than just an artist, he's a voice for many in recovery.
"Well, when you hear Jelly Roll for us, we think of him going up on the hill and testifying before Congress, how elegant he was, and how it gave us a voice, and so we are pretty excited to support him in any way we could," Perez said.
The restaurant also added a strawberry jelly roll to their menu, a simply a twist on their famous cinnamon roll.
"We exist specifically to celebrate recovery and really support our 42 employees and that's what we are here to do," said Perez."We want to give them a job, but we also want to give them hope . We want to show them that there is fun outside of addiction, and in recovery, anything is possible for them."
