A Sweet Way to Raise Some Dough

You might know it as a “doughboy,” “elephant ear,” or if you’re of Italian heritage, “fried dough.” But whatever you call it, the sweet treat—deep fried, yeasted bread dough, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar—is doing some good things in the area, thanks to the owners of a Norfolk restaurant.
Jennifer and Alex Lima, the husband and wife team behind Novato’s Bar and Grill, decided when they first opened their restaurant that it would be a priority to also give back to the community. Jennifer’s family had been in the restaurant business for years (her father owned Tom’s Tavern), and both she and Alex knew the amount of work it would take to run a restaurant.
“We both agreed we were going to utilize the restaurant to help people, because that’s really what our passion is,” explained Jennifer. “We promised each other we would help out the community.”
They’ve been active and generous in town since opening the restaurant, but according to Jennifer, it was her husband who decided they would do more, coming up with the “Rolling in the Dough” fundraiser two years ago.
For every purchase of the restaurant’s $5 doughboy, the Limas would donate 100% of the proceeds to a needy individual, family, or cause, once the pot reached $10,000. The public was invited to submit candidates, and a committee would pick the recipient--no easy task.
The Limas were amazed with the success of that first fundraiser in 2014, with the $10,000 going to the family of a woman battling colon cancer.
“People just came in and donated money. They didn’t even buy a doughboy,” related Jennifer.
The second Rolling in the Dough Fundraiser, held last year, benefited the family of Lt. George Labonte, a Wrentham police officer battling cancer. Again, the $10,000 was easily raised.
Recently, the third Rolling in the Dough fundraiser was announced, but this time the Limas have decided that the money raised by the fundraiser will be split between two recipients, with each receiving $5,000. “We wanted to spread it out a little bit,” said Jennifer.
The public is invited to submit a one-page description of a person or a cause in need of financial help by emailing [email protected], or by mail to Novatos Bar and Grill, Doughboy Fundraising Campaign, 218 Dedham St., Norfolk, MA 02056. The deadline for submissions is February 11. The chosen individuals or charities will be notified by March 1 and announced on the Novatos’ Facebook page.
And of course, stop by Novatos and try a doughboy. No other purchase is necessary, says Jennifer.
Or just swing by and make a donation for a worthy cause. You’ll be in good company.
“That very first day we published this latest fundraiser on Facebook, people just came in and made donations without purchasing anything,” said Jennifer Lima.
“Our hearts are full,” she added. “It feels so good when people come together. We are so grateful to be part of such an amazing community.”