NORFOLK, Va. – A unique family-owned business in Ocean View is struggling to stay afloat. But after hearing the news via social media, neighbors are doing what they can to keep a restaurant called A World of Good open.
“It said that they were having some problems or they might go out of business, and you know, we can’t have that,” stated Coreena Coleman who lives in Ocean View. “They’ve got Korean, North American, South American, but it’s very authentic. That’s the thing about it. I really like it!”
Owner Greg Barnhill explained they opened a few weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic started but this winter has been especially rough.
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“I was thinking ‘It’s going to get better. It’s going to get better,’ and then it didn’t,” Barnhill said.
But a few days ago, a concerned neighbor realized how much trouble this restaurant was in, and he decided to take the time to post on a social media page. Norfolk residents posted comments like “You guys are too amazing to lose,” “I treasure our visits,” and “Definitely my favorite restaurant in O.V.”
On Saturday, so many customers came to eat that Barnhill had to close early because they ran out of ingredients, and he didn’t want to serve a substandard product.
“It was like middle-of-July busy. So, we weren’t prepared for that,” Barnhill explained. “The outpouring from the community has been incredible.”
A World of Good serves dishes inspired from across the globe including The Mediterranean, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.
Barnhill described two of their top-selling dishes. First, the Korean corn dog.
“It’s an all-beef hot dog, then we cut it into four pieces and then we take four pieces of mozzarella, and it all gets skewered onto a chopstick and then it’s breaded. It’s sweet. It’s salty. It’s savory. It’s crunchy and spicy all at the same time.
He says the quesabirria is a customer favorite.
“It’s like eating a brisket and having soup and a taco all at the same time!”
For more information on A World of Good, click here.
Meanwhile, Downtown Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Newport News are having their “Restaurant Week,” and Portsmouth starts theirs on Saturday. Click here for more details on that.
