PORTLAND – The Egg & I restaurant on Riverside Street in Portland is hosting a food drive Thursday, Nov. 14, from 9 a.m.-noon, to benefit the Westbrook Food Pantry.

Tracy Smith, the restaurant’s assistant manager, said the benefit is a way for the business to reach out to the Westbrook community, which already provides the establishment with many regular customers. The location, at 139 Riverside St., close to the Westbrook line, opened roughly six months ago. The first Egg & I restaurant is located on Route 1 in Scarborough.

Those who donate to the food drive will receive a $2 coupon for the restaurant and their names will be placed into a raffle with donated prizes. Raffle items will include many homemade crafts, dolls, and gift cards to both the Egg & I and Hannaford Supermarkets, which donated the gift cards for the event.

Smith said that a big supporter and voice in the event is regular customer Peggy Davis of Westbrook, who helped Smith formulate the raffle idea, as well as donated her handmade work.

“She does a lot of charity work,” said Smith. “She makes these beautiful Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls by hand, and donates them to many charities in the area.”

Smith, along with Natalie Mitchell, another employee, organized the food drive as the first of what they hope are many events to support their local community in the future.

“We feed the community on a daily basis, but this is another way to get out there and do that as a benefit,” she said.

The restaurant also has set up a cash donation option at the store. For more information call the Egg & I restaurant at 747-4155.