There's More to Restaurants Than Just Dining Out
I've just returned from a scrumptious evening of the finest dining possible--the annual James Beard Foundation Dinner at the American Restaurant. Chefs come from all over the country, whip up the most delectable dishes one can imagine and by doing so, help their soon-to-be colleagues in the industry. Phenomenal as it is, it is but one example of how restaurants here help countless charitable causes.
We don't always think of just how much restaurants do to help others. However, Michelle Groner, Community Relations Manager at Harvesters, does. "We couldn't survive without the support of the restaurant industry," she says bluntly. "They provided 600,000 meals from last year's Forks and Corks event alone--and that's one small piece of what the restaurants are doing."
Examples abound. One was obvious on January 18th when Paul Khoury and Bill Crooks, founders of PB&J Restaurants, accepted the "Restauranteurs of the Year" by the Missouri Restaurant Association. PB&J has consistently supported local charities by spending $100,000 per year across the board to every worthwhile organization you can imagine--from churches and libraries to HIV and diabetes.
Rod Anderson, owner of the Hereford House restaurants looks at big events for big causes like Forks and Corks and Jazzoo, but also pays attention to the smaller events like women's golf tourneys. He helps students at Johnson County Community College through Lane Alan Barkley and Mary "Petey" Skivers Memorial Scholarships.
His belief in doing what's right extends to his own employees--for instance, his HOOF program (Helping Others Obtain their Future) gives employees a dollar for every hour they work (up to $2,100 per year) to be applied towards furthering their education.
The chains all contribute, too. Of course, there's the conspicuous example of Ronald McDonald House. Nationally, more than 10 million families with sick children have called a Ronald McDonald House a "home-away-from-home," and over $320 million dollars in grants have helped make an immediate, positive impact on children who need help. In Kansas City, McDonald's Corporation and the local cooperative of McDonald's franchisees are an important ongoing support to the two Houses and the Family Room and its programs, contributing about 15 percent of the annual $750,000 per year budget.
Applebee's is very committed to many causes like Sunflower House. Not only do they offer money, their charity committee has selected specific organizations to help with time and labor including the KCPT Auction, Relay for Life, Christmas in October, Race for the Cure. They also have a formal program called The Heart of Applebee's which includes, among others, programs which provide matching funds, paid volunteer time off, and a community support fund to help fund groups such as children's sports teams and Brownie troops. An idea of the magnitude: an employee spends three hours every day just processing gift certificate requests from charities all over the city.
The New Theatre in Overland Park, says Groner, is a particularly strong supporter of another aspect of charity--the food rescue program. "They are the jewel in that crown," she says. "Since they are committed that the last meal will be as fresh the first one, they have more left-overs which get taken directly to agencies which serve them to the needy."
Milano is connected with Don Bosco which deals with so many newcomers to town, a great number of them immigrants. In fact, the restaurant industry employs many employees from different countries. The Crayola Café works especially closely with Children's Mercy, another natural tie.
All of Culinary Concepts, LLC. restaurants, like many others in the city, give thousands of dollars away in gift certificates to charities, which use them as auction or prize items. It's about "making a difference, touching a life" Solomon Melesse, Managing Director of Culinary Concepts, LLC. says. "Kansas City is a very giving community. The restaurants here all reflect that." 