It followed ongoing response with plenty of positive feedback and encouragement from the broader community after the Muslim-owned restaurant's Facebook page was peppered with anti-Islamic posts recently, urging people to "boycott Islamic businesses".

On Saturday Mr Nemer's AFL teammates were among many who arrived at the family's Lebanese food restaurant when the TODAY Show turned up for a live cross at Samaras Restaurant.

They were joined by politicians such as independent candidate for Wollongong Arthur Rorris, federal member for Cunningham Sharon Bird and Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery.

The cross lasted five minutes and Mr Nemer was further buoyed by news of what happened in Canberra last week.

Ms Bird told him that she and fellow Federal MP Stephen Jones spoke about Samaras at Federal Parliament last Wednesday as part of the lead-up to Harmony Day.

"A lot of members of our party from different cultural backgrounds brought food along and we actually had a big morning tea on the same day as Samaras had their #illeatwithyou lunch," she said.

"And we used that to do a big shout out to what was going on back here. And I hope to get a chance in Parliament this week to report back on this event too. The more we can get out there publicly and have community members and community leaders all saying the same thing, the stronger the message will be."

Shellharbour Mayor Marianne Saliba was among local councillors to start the political ball rolling at the #illeatwithyou campaign lunch at Samaras Restaurant last week.

Ms Saliba keeps encouraging the family to open a Samaras in Shellharbour after they recently opened a second restaurant in Woonona.

Mr Nemer said the family was keen.

He was also so inspired by Lifeline's Grahame Gould for his support with the I'll Eat With You concept last week the two are planning to hold an I'll Eat With You Festival at Flagstaff Hill in April with food from the many different cultures that proudly call Wollongong home.

Details will be announced soon.