Fort Worth-area restaurant hosting prom for seniors who had theirs canceled by COVID
Patricia Wozniak just bought the “perfect” prom dress when the coronavirus pandemic changed everything for her, just as she was celebrating her senior year.
One of her worst disappointments was when she found out that the Grapevine High School prom was canceled.
“I asked a guy I know from school, and then it (prom) got canceled,” Wozniak said.
“It was upsetting, I bought everything. Now, what do I do?” she said.
But Wozniak and other high school seniors will get their prom night complete with dinner, dancing, photos and decorations thanks to Jason Benouared who manages La Bistro Italian Grill.
He is closing the restaurant for the weekend so that the students can celebrate a long-standing tradition.
“It seemed like there was a big demand for it. A lot of parents missed their kids having the prom,” he said.
Benouared created an event on Eventbrite, and there are still some tickets left for the dinners on Friday and Saturday nights.
Benouared said he is taking COVID-19 precautions such as spacing the tables six feet apart to encourage social distancing, and all servers will wear masks. He and his wife will start decorating the restaurant late Thursday night. The decorations are left over from his wedding, he said.
When stay-at-home orders forced him to shut down his restaurant, Benouared said he spent time cleaning out his attic and organizing the wedding decorations.
The prom will be complete with dinner, dancing and music, he said.
Wozniak, 18, said her mother told her about the prom night at La Bistro.
“We’re super excited,” she said.
Mariel Dayer, 18, who will graduate from Keller High School later this month is also going to her prom night at La Bistro on Saturday.
She will also get to wear her prom dress and spend the evening with her best friend and their dates.
She said she felt “cheated” when she learned her prom was canceled because she went through 12 years of school anticipating her senior year with all of the celebrations.
“When I found out that our prom was canceled, I was so upset. I already bought my prom dress. Now, I am super excited,” she said.
Benouared said he is looking forward to the weekend and seeing everyone celebrate.
“If we’re going to have a prom for the kids, now is the time to do it,” Benouared said.
“Restaurants are reopening, and this is before kids go to college. It’s a community effort,” he said.
This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 6:00 AM.