Chef John Thiel dreamed of opening a restaurant. His father’s passion for food and wine inspired Thiel to become a chef, and together they spoke of running a business. In the Fall of 2005, John realized his dream by opening Pappo, a Mediterranean Restaurant located in his hometown of Alameda, California. The only missing ingredient which would have made the opening perfect was his father, William J. Thiel, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2000 at the age of 59.
The one-year celebration is a significant milestone in the restaurant industry, so as Pappo’s first anniversary approached, John knew the celebration had to be unique. “We have been very fortunate since the day we opened and I wanted to use this anniversary as an opportunity to give back.” He added, “I was motivated to pay tribute and respect to my father who was unable to be a part of this dream of mine.”
John did just that. Last October, he organized a dinner party for 44 people that raised almost $6,000 for the Foundation. Held at Pappo (which means “to eat” in Latin), they charged a set price for a five-course dinner paired with world class wines from Robert Chadderdon. A silent auction was held, featuring donated pieces of art and private collections of wine. The staff at Pappo’s volunteered their time and more than 90% of the food and wine was donated from the restaurants purveyors. This allowed Thiel to keep the cost of the event down and thus maximize the proceeds he could donate to the Foundation.
“I wanted the proceeds to go directly to The Hirshberg Foundation to further the research of pancreatic cancer because that is what my father had. I thought maybe one day it could help my sister, my brothers, myself or any other family member, as I understand this cancer to be hereditary.”
After the event, Thiel described the overall experience as “great” and found comfort in the fact that so many of his friends and family would come out to support what he felt was a very worthwhile cause. “I am very happy to be in a position where I could host something like this, and I look forward to making it an annual event.”
When asked what his father would have thought of the event had he had been alive to attend, John said “I think my father would have been very proud of me and he would have loved the meal.”
