Many people like eating at Mandarin. How about indulging in its large buffet for free?

The popular Chinese-Canadian food restaurant chain is offering a free meal to customers on Canada Day. On Wednesday, July 1, all 21 southern Ontario Mandarin locations will open their doors and invite people to a free meal.

The only condition is you have to be a Canadian citizen to eat for free that day.

James Chiu, founder of Mandarin Restaurants, says he is so grateful to Canada that he is investing more than $800,000 to give back to the country that gave him citizenship more than 30 years ago. Staff is paid overtime to work Canada Day so they can give away an estimated 30,000 meals.

The company anticipates it will serve 30,000 spring rolls, 2,000 pounds of rice, more than 50,000 sweet and sour chicken balls and 30,000 fortune cookies on July 1.

The restaurant chain has not made the free offer in the last four years and it has never made it available at all of its locations — until this year.

In Hamilton, the Mandarin is located on Upper James at Rymal.

“We are proud to celebrate 30 years of service in Canada,” Chiu, president of Mandarin Restaurants, said in a news release. “What better day than Canada Day to express our sincerest gratitude to our nation and its people. We want to show how much we value being Canadian. That’s why we’re calling it ‘Thank You, Canada’.

“Celebrating Canada Day is important for the entire organization as the majority of our management and staff are immigrants. We have all benefited from becoming Canadian citizens,” he added.

Anticipating lineups from early in the morning, Mandarin will open its doors at noon for the first seating and will seat customers until 8:30 p. m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Accompanying the free buffet are soft drinks, tea and coffee.

Individuals must show proof of citizenship via a passport, birth certificate or citizenship card to receive the free meal.