Gunaseelan Manoharan and his wife Leesha, owners of the restaurant at Stawell's National Hotel, announced last week they would provide free meals to those in need.

Mr Manoharan said he wanted to find a way to support the community that had supported him and his wife when they took over the restaurant one year ago.

"We want to be able to help the community at this point in time, wherever they need help," he said.

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Despite remaining open for takeaway orders, business had fallen off a cliff.

"People are scared, they don't want to come out, it's very bad at the moment," Mr Manoharan said.

The pair, originally from Chennai in India's south, are not unfamiliar with generosity.

During January's bushfires, they cooked up $2000 worth of Indian food to donate to Foodbank Victoria, and threw in a $500 cash tip.

The offer of free meals has attracted several in town, mainly elderly residents calling in for some parmas or a schnitzel, but there have been others as well.

"One lady, she lost her job, and she's a single mum," Mr Manoharan said.

"It was her child's birthday but didn't have any money so she ordered a parmi and two schnitzels for them, so she's still feeding her kids and making them happy.

"Something like this, it's a little bit touching, you know?"

"We've been in this situation, three or four years back. It's good, at this point in time we can offer to help someone, so we are doing it."

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