Groton — The co-owner of Manana Café in Groton said he sees so many homeless people walk through the parking lot that he and other volunteers are planting a community garden near the business to provide free food.

Justin Primeaux, who co-owns the restaurant on Poquonnock Road, said a friend told him this week she had extra plants and asked if he or his staff would like some.

The friend, Serena Rice of Norwich, volunteers with the Eastern Connecticut Community Gardens Association, and last week helped distribute 22,000 donated plants to community gardens, social service agencies, homeless veterans and elderly residents without access to fresh produce. Bonnie Plants of Preston passed along the donations to the garden association.

Primeaux, who co-owns the Mexican restaurant with Martin and Genine Zavala, said he saw a need in his own community. He suggested a garden, Rice loved the idea and Primeaux's landlord granted permission.

On Tuesday, Primeaux, Rice and a small group of volunteers dug an 8-by-25-foot garden to plant peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, soybeans and basil.

Primeaux said he sees about 20 people every day who are “obviously less fortunate."

“I separate my bottles that are worth a nickel and put them in back, and they’re gone every morning,” he said. “Someone takes them. And I’m happy that someone’s getting those nickels. It’s just, Groton, as wonderful as the town is, there is a lot of neglected people here, which is sad.”

Allison Weinsteiger, who owns KAM farm in Lebanon, helped dig and plant the new garden on Tuesday. “We strongly believe in improving the health of people, and this would be part of it,” she said.

Primeaux planned to get dozens of plants in the ground, pick up manure for fertilizer and mulch and perhaps fencing. Then he planned to put up a sign.

He wasn't sure what it would say, but something like, “Take what you need,” or “Need a tomato? Take a tomato. Don’t go hungry.”

“Our nation is too wealthy for people to go hungry. And the fact of the matter is a lot of people do,” he said.

d.straszheim@theday.com

Twitter: @DStraszheim