Diner auctions off artwork, gives proceeds to another struggling restaurant

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    Winston-Salem, NC (WXII) — Mary’s Gourmet Diner, a well-known Winston-Salem restaurant, had to close for good after coronavirus restrictions halted business.

But that is not stopping Mary from helping another business on the way out.

Mary Haglund decided to auction off the iconic paintings hanging from the walls of her diner.

“There were 29 paintings and they were cartoons created for me and my restaurant,” she said.

Haglund posted some of the paintings on social media and she could not believe the response.

“I was like okay this painting is up for auction and people would start having bidding wars!” Haglud said.

Haglund made $5,000 from the paintings in her diner. Instead of taking the money as a parting gift for herself, she gave it to La Botana, a local Mexican restaurant.

“We were talking the other day and she asked if it had been hard on you guys. We said, yeah, we are already four months behind on rent,” Rigo Velasquez, with La Botana, said.

La Botana is Mary’s favorite Mexican restaurant in town. She’s become great friends with the owners, July and Rigo.

“I lost my breath. I had to sit down, man. Not only her, people who walked in with $100, $200, $300 bucks,” Rigo Velasquez said.

Haglund said it was the least she could do. She couldn’t see her friends lose their business they worked so hard for.

“When you can pay it forward like that, it’s not even a choice. Of course, I’m going to help these people, this is a family-owned business,” Haglund said.

In August, a new restaurant is expected to take the spot of Mary’s Gourmet Diner.

Michael Millan, who was the majority owner of Mary’s Diner for the last two years, is opening Mojito Latin Soul Food.

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