Loaves & Fishes offers short-order meals

There is a new eatery — Loaves & Fishes Café — at 316 California Ave., and it has an easy feel about it.

The name, as customers with a Christian background may surmise, comes from the Bible verse Matthew 15, verses 36 and 37 in which Jesus fed a multitude with a limited supply of loaves of bread and fish.

“It is exactly,” said owner Star Phillips when asked about the Bible verse. “You know where Jesus fed the masses with bread and fish and still had some left over. It’s our inspiration.”

Asked about the coincidence of the address number — 316 — and Phillips quickly responded.

“Yes, 316. How about that?” Phillips said. “John 3:16, For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. When we realized the address, we knew it was right.”

Phillips, who is Christian but not necessarily religious, said she was inspired to open the restaurant to help charities, seven in all, of which 10 percent of receipts will benefit. Those charities include the Lincoln County Relay for Life, Camp Patriot, Wings of Lincoln County, Underdog Street Ministries, Kootenai Valley Christian School, Christmas is for Kids and Sami’s Foreign Ministry.

Phillips is chairwoman for the Lincoln County Relay for Life and for 11 years has been chairwoman for the Christmas is for Kids program. Café customers will be able to designate what charity will receive their 10 percent.

The menu is simple. It includes hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and fried-balogna sandwiches. For an additional price, customers may add bacon, pepperoni, corned beef or ham as well as just about any toppings from the toppings bar. Those add-ons include jalapeños, grated cheddar cheese, green olives, black olives, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, artichokes, guacamole, salsa, pineapple, cucumbers, spicy mustard relish, bleu cheese, feta cheese, garlic spinach cream cheese and cranberry cream cheese.

All sandwiches come with potato chips and complimentary iced tea or coffee.

“With our toppings bar, we can offer so many variations,” Phillips said.

Loaves & Fishes also will offer kid’s burgers, hot dogs and a kid’s hot dog. The deluxe burger and deluxe chicken sandwich are $5 each, and the fried-balogna sandwich is $3.50.

“The fried-balogna sandwich is kind of a Midwest thing,” Phillips said. “Some people have tried them, but we’re waiting to see how it goes over here in Libby.”

Here’s a description of those charities:

• Lincoln County Relay for Life celebrates survivors and raises money for the American Cancer Society.

• Camp Patriot takes disabled U.S. veterans on outdoor adventures.

• Wings is a regional cancer support system for those enduring cancer treatment.

• Underdog Street Ministries provides food, shelter and spiritual assistance for the homeless in Elko, Nev.

• Kootenai Valley Christian School offers Christ-centered education to the youth of Lincoln County.

• Christmas is for Kids provides toys and gifts for Lincoln County children at Christmas and other special occasions.

• Sami’s Foreign Ministry is run by restaurant worker Sami Kleppe and helps provide for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of home-hospice patients and others in need in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The restaurant, which is located at the old Mara’s Filipino restaurant, is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.