For the past three and a half years, Sizzle & Crunch Vietnamese Grill owner Paul Nguyen has been busy feeding the people of Seattle delicious Vietnamese cuisine. Since it was his favorite kind of food growing up, it seemed like a no-brainer to make a living out of cooking and serving it. Despite his success, however, his mother has still not shared all her recipes with him.

Unfortunately, the pandemic has taken its toll on Paul’s business. He was forced to shut down the South Lake Union location, and the remaining store in the U District saw its revenue drop as much as 80%. While the past couple of weeks have shown some promising signs of recovery, it’s still a long road ahead to get back to where things were before.

Back when Paul was still in school at the University of Washington, he had the good fortune of making friends with several nursing students. That personal connection motivated him to take action while business was slow. Equipped with the food that brought him success, he visited Seattle’s VA hospital to make sure the nurses there were well fed.

Now, Sizzle & Crunch continues to pay it forward, with Columbia Bank by its side. Paul and his team are still bringing warm meals to the medical workers fighting the coronavirus at area hospitals. Sizzle & Crunch is cooking up the grub, and Columbia Bank is footing the bill. This boosts morale for those who need and deserve it the most, while helping a local business do what it loves most.