Restaurateurs Team Up To Help One Of Their Own

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The restaurant business in Louisville may be competitive, but several restaurant owners are putting all that aside after hearing about the plight of a one-man operation.

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Adam Tatum, the owner of Oak Street Pizza in Old Louisville, was shot during a robbery. While he survived, those other businesses are coming together so he can survive financially and they're calling on customers to help.

"One bad day could destroy everything he's built," said Matthew Landan, who is selling Oak Street Pizza by the slice at his business, Derby City Espresso, on Market Street.

Metro Police said two men stormed into Oak Street Pizza on Sunday night, robbing it and shooting Tatum.

"When I found out what had happened, my first thought was that could have been me, that could easily be me and I know he's a small businessman and this could hurt him," Landan said. "And I thought, 'What can I do?'"

What Landan did was spread the word to other businesses, like Tony Boom Bozz, about a benefit he's organizing to raise money for Tatum.

"Adam is Oak Street Pizza, and without Adam, it doesn't operate," said Tony Boom Bozz founder Tony Palombino. "Just helping him financially get back on his feet and get him back in making pizza, which he loves to do."

Palombino said while restaurants aren't immune to being robbed, being a one-man operation means one robbery could close the business down for good, which is why Landan believes so many businesses want to help.

"The response has been overwhelming," he said. "We've had donations from dozens of restaurants."