Ozarks Life: Facebook page helps find literally what’s cooking in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - Food brings us together.

Whether it’s a date night, a family outing, or a reunion, food is at the center of all of the fun.

Very few good things came from the time America was shut down during the pandemic: Working from home. Our fascination with the ‘Tiger King.’ And a little-known, but beloved social media site in Springfield.

“Created a group to give restaurants a way to put themselves in front of people,” Terry Yarham said. “A chance (for them) to say, ‘we’re closed, we’re not closed, we’re open on these days,’ you know? Give them a platform.”

Yarham created Eat Springfield MO on Facebook. The group can see what’s cooking, literally, in the Queen City.

“Just a way of talking about the food,” Yarham said.

This site has aged like a fine wine since it first launched. Now folks can find specials and see what new restaurants are opening in our area.

You can see delicious dishes, cocktails supporting countries, and familiar favorites from unfamiliar faces.

“You think in Springfield, Missouri, it’s all going to be just down-home cooking and it’s not,” Yarham said. “You name a country and we’ve probably got food from it.”

“This is a great way to support local people to get some money coming into them,” Yarham said. “And discover some places that might be a new favorite restaurant for you that you just don’t even realize right now.”

It’s the best of social media without the worse of social media. Eat Springfield MO trims the fat; protecting local owners’ dreams.

“Restaurants don’t have to worry about people going in doing a ‘dumpster fire’ on the restaurant or anything like that,” Yarham said. “Don’t trash the restaurant, post about a different restaurant that day; throw something positive out there.”

After all, over the centuries, food has always brought people together.

“There’s a bonding aspect there which is what food is always done,” Yarham said.

Eat Springfield MO has two VIP Cards for sale to help folks find new restaurants. Each card is $20 and features 19, different restaurants offering buy-one, get-one deals or some free food.

The money raised from the sales of these VIP Cards goes to benefit the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools and the CoxHealth Foundation.

You can find more on the Eat Springfield MO Facebook page.

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