The chef's restaurant was named after his child.
Chef Dave Heide decided to open a new restaurant with his child's name on it.
Heide said the thing that makes him happy is making other people happy. I believe that food is love.
Chef Dave Heide likes to cook.
Fifteen years ago, a Wisconsin chef named his first restaurant after his first child.
Little John's, a nonprofit food kitchen, was named for Heide's youngest child, and Charlie's on Main, a restaurant, was opened for his second child.
Heide said that the thing that makes him happy is making others happy. I believe that food is love.
Heide told Insider that he and his wife reacted with love and support when his oldest child came out. It wouldn't be a problem for Ollie, who uses both he and he and they.
The establishment that still proudly bore Ollie's birth name was his dad's first restaurant and it was looming over his joyful announcement.
Heide said that Ollie told his parents that he didn't mind his dead name being in the restaurant. Heide told Insider that "it was really making Ollie sad, getting dead named every day, seeing the name on the building I went to work at."
Heide and his family had to make a decision in less than a month.
Heide, a well-known figure in the Madison community, immediately announced via social media that the restaurant was on the outs. Several people reached out to him, asking why he was giving up his business for a name change. They said to keep the old restaurant and open a new one to honor the man.
Heide didn't have time for such ideas.
He asked if he gave a shit about his old brand compared to his son and daughter's mental health.
The community responded with a lot of support for the father and child. There were many people reaching out to each other.
The father and son wrote a column about their experience in a local LGBTQ outlet.
There were a lot of responses. Heide's inbox was filled with messages of support from other trans and nonbinary kids. Heide was getting a lot of questions from parents about how to handle their child's coming out.
Heide said that the best thing for Ollie was the number of messages from children thanking him for being brave.
Heide and his team worked for nine months to create a new restaurant for Ollie and his son Charlie. Heide was forced to close his second restaurant, Charlie's on Main, but the finality of his two businesses gave him the chance to try a new thing.
The site of his first restaurant was split into two. St. Charles Station will open in the new year on the other side of the building.
Heide said that he got input on almost every part of the restaurant since it was a celebration of Ollie. He helped with the construction and had a big influence on the menu, as he chose 23 different shades of paint for the rainbow.
The menu includes everything from Detroit-style pizza to smash burgers and mac n' cheese.
Heide said that business has been booming at the new restaurant.
He told Insider that they had not advertised yet. We're doing the same amount of business as we did before.
The support Heide and his family have received is more than just food focused. Several customers have come to say thank you to Ollie and his father.
It's great to hear from people who know Ollie that he's seen and heard. Heide said it was really beautiful.
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