Restaurants respond with tsunami-relief aid | News =

January 31, 2005 =E2=80=94 yRestaurants, quick = to respond to=20 community needs, have mobilized to support relief for Asia's = tsunami=20 victims. Here's just a sampling of what some restaurant companies = and=20 organizations have done or are doing.=20

Looking for materials to help raise awareness? Download artwork = for g= uest-check=20 inserts and table=20 tents.=20

STATEWIDE EFFORTS=20

Massachusetts: = "Cooking for a=20 Cause" -- The Massachusetts=20 Restaurant Association will host an evening benefit = featuring=20 cooking demonstrations and tastings of Asian foods. On Jan. 25, = from=20 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., participating chefs Thomas John of Au = Bon Pain=20 and Rich Vellante of Legal Sea Foods, along with Indian cooking = teacher=20 and caterer Tara Deshpande Tennebaum, and Thai = native=20 and cooking teacher Wichian Rojanawon, will prepare traditional = Asian=20 foods for a benefit at the Boston University Culinary Arts = Program. The=20 event will be hosted by Boston Herald food editor Jane=20 Dornbusch.=20
Illinois: "Desserts for Disaster Week" -- = The Illinois Restaurant = Association is planning to put together a "Desserts for = Disaster=20 Week" program Jan. 17 to Jan. 21. Participating restaurants will = donate=20 money from dessert sales that week to the American Red Cross and = its=20 sister societies, the International Federation of Red Cross and = Red=20 Crescent Societies.=20
Washington State: Washington Restaurant = Association=20 members participating in "Meals for Disaster Relief" efforts in = January=20 reported raising more than $35,000 for the American Red Cross = and other=20 organizations. Many restaurants are continuing their fundraising = efforts=20 in February.=20
Seattle, WA: Since Jan. 5, at least 11 = local=20 restaurants have been hosting specific fund-raising events -- = benefit=20 buffets or proceeds from a designated day -- to aid the relief = effort=20 throughout the affected regions. Another 57 restaurants, all = members of=20 the Thai Commerce and Restaurant Association, will display = donation=20 boxes through the end of the month. All donations will be sent = to the=20 Royal Thai Consulate in Los Angeles, which will then be sent to = the Thai=20 Red Cross. The fundraising goal is at least $25,000. More= =20
New Mexico: "Desserts for Disaster Week" -- = The New=20 Mexico Restaurant Association spearheaded "Desserts for Disaster = Week,"=20 Jan. 24 to Jan. 29. All proceeds from dessert sales during that = period=20 go to the American Red Cross International Response Fund.=20
Oregon: The Oregon=20 Restaurant Association is encouraging its staff to donate to = the=20 relief efforts through its Employee Charitable Giving Fund. The=20 Association will match all employee contributions to the Mercy = Corp for=20 Southeast Asia disaster relief effort.=20
Mississippi: The Mississippi Hospitality & = Restaurant=20 Association is sending a check for $1,000 to the India = Association=20 of Mississippi.=20
Maryland: Dine Out For Disaster Relief. On = Jan. 12=20 participating members of the Little Italy Restaurant Association = donated=20 a minimum of 10 percent of every meal sold to the American Red = Cross=20 International Response Fund.=20
Hoboken, NJ: The Hoboken Hospitality = Association,=20 in conjunction with the city, on Tuesday, Jan. 18, will donate a = portion=20 of the day's receipts to the American Red Cross to aid relief = efforts.=20
Washington, D.C., restaurants: Among the = restaurant=20 events in the Washington, D.C., area to support tsunami relief: =
-=20 Bangkok Joe's: Throughout January, Bangkok Joe's will donate $5 = from=20 each sale of the restaurant's special three-course menu to the = Royal=20 Thai Embassy's tsunami-relief fund.
- On Feb. 3 a group of=20 restaurants -- including 1789 Restaurant, Citronelle, Galileo,=20 Restaurant Eve, Equinox, Kaz Sushi Bistro and the Majestic = Caf=C3=A9, among=20 others -- will participate in a benefit dinner at Bread Line. = All=20 proceeds from the $100-per-person ticket sales go to relief = efforts in=20 Sri Lanka.
- Brickskeller: Throughout January, the = Brickseller will=20 donate 10 percent of happy-hour and draft-beer sales in the bar = to the=20 International Red Cross's tsunami effort.
- Cafe Marianna: = The=20 restaurant will donate 20 percent of all restaurant sales = throughout=20 January to UNICEF.
- Kaz Sushi Bistro: Kaz Sushi Bistro will = raffle=20 off a tasting dinner for two. Tickets are $10 and all proceeds = go to=20 UNICEF.
- Martin's Tavern: Through Jan. 20, Martin's Tavern = will=20 donate all the proceeds ($25) from the sale of each Chicken Pad = Tao=20 entree to benefit the B'nai B'rith Disaster Relief Fund.
- = Mimi's:=20 The bistro will host a midnight cabaret Feb. 4, with proceeds = from the=20 $10 admission going to CARE USA.
- Palette: The restaurant is = donating 50 percent of its $10 signature martini sales to the = Red Cross.=20
- Zed's Ethiopian Cuisine: From Jan. 17 to 31, Zed's = Ethiopian=20 Cuisine will donate 15 percent of lunch sales Monday through = Friday to=20 support the relief efforts coordinated by the embassy of Sri = Lanka.
=E2=80=93=20 Rising Stars DC Chefs Tsunami Benefit: On Jan. 26, a = collaboration of 10=20 restaurants and their sous chefs held a tasting benefit at Casa=20 Italiana. Restaurants included Aria Trattoria, Circle Bistro, = Equinox,=20 Galileo, Citronelle, Tosca, Nora, Poste, Terrazza and others. =

INDIVIDUAL COMPANIES=20

Rock Bottom Restaurants: Rock=20 Bottom is selling "tsunami crosses" to customers for $1, = with 100=20 percent of the proceeds benefiting the American Red Cross.=20
YUM! Brands: Yum!=20 team-mates around the globe are collecting clothing and cash to = help=20 their Indonesian colleagues. The Yum! Foundation will donate $1 = million=20 to the International Red Cross and will also match all employee=20 donations (Yum! Brands, Yum! Restaurants International, A&W=20 Restaurants, KFC, Long John Silver's, Pizza Hut or Taco Bell or=20 franchisees or employees of franchisees) up to a total of = $500,000.=20
Brinker International : Brinker is contributing to = disaster=20 relief through UNICEF and their Indian partner's charitable = foundation.=20
Carlson Restaurants: Carlson Restaurants, along = with their=20 parent company, Carlson Companies, is raising funds, through = employee=20 contributions, for the tsunami relief effort. Money will be = donated to=20 UNICEF and The World Childhood Foundation.=20
Restaurants Unlimited Restaurants Unlimited, Inc. = (RUI) is=20 coordinating three tsunami-relief fundraising efforts in = January, all=20 spearheaded by RUI employees. RUI is offering an employee = matching=20 program up to $25,000; will donate $1 to Save the Children or = Mercy=20 Corps for each sale of Grilled Salmon with Artichoke Tartar = entree; and=20 will participate in the Washington Restaraurant Association's = statewide=20 Meals for Disaster fundraiser on Jan. 22 to benefit the American = Red=20 Cross. RUI restaurants, located throughout Washington State, = include=20 Palisade, Palomino, Stanley & Seafort's, Scott's, = Clinkerdagger, and=20 Cutter's Bayhouse.=20
Macayo's Mexican Kitchen: Macayo's restaurants in = Arizona and=20 Nevada donated 15 percent of their sales on Jan. 11 to tsunami = victims=20 through the International Response Fund of the American Red = Cross. A=20 total of $15,000 was raised.=20
Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits: Popeyes donated $10,000 to = the=20 American Red Cross to assist in with tsunami-relief efforts. The = company=20 also set up an employee-matching program; under that program, = which=20 ended Jan. 14, the company matched employee donations to the = American=20 Red Cross up to $2,500.=20
Qdoba: On Jan. 25, Qdoba Mexican Grill will = donate 10=20 percent of the day's net proceeds from more than 120 = participating Qdoba=20 locations to Direct Relief International's tsunami-assistance = efforts.=20
Panda Restaurant Group: The Panda Restaurant Group has = pledged to=20 raise $200,000=20 for tsunami-relief efforts from Jan. 15 to Jan. 21 by = donating 50=20 percent of all chicken egg roll and veggie spring roll sales to = Thailand=20 World Vision. The seven-day fundraiser takes place in every = Panda=20 Express, Panda Inn and Hibachi-San restaurant. The restaurant = company=20 anticipates raising another $100,000 through an internal=20 employee-matching campaign; those funds will support family = members of=20 Panda Restaurant Group associates who have been affected by the=20 disaster.=20
Eat'n Park restaurants: From Jan. 15 to = Jan. 31,=20 Pittsburgh, PA-based Eat'n = Park=20 Hospitality Group collected donations in all restaurants by = placing=20 water jugs by the cash register to provide guests with a means = of making=20 donations. All proceeds go to the Brother's Brother Foundation = (BBF), a=20 non-profit, international charity that is currently working with = Operation USA and Sri Venkateswara Temple (in Pittsburgh) to = respond to=20 the needs of survivors of the tsunami floods in South Asia.=20
Carl's Jr: Carl's Jr. has joined = the City=20 of Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, and Food for the Hungry, to adopt = the=20 remote Indonesian town of Meulaboh, where a third of the = population=20 perished in the recent tsunami disaster. As part of the Carl's = Jr.=20 Fundraising Challenge, Arizonans have two different ways to = contribute.=20 First, as of Jan. 10, direct donations can be made at any of the = 41=20 Carl's Jr. restaurants. Additionally, Carl's Jr. will donate = half of the=20 proceeds through the purchase of The Six Dollar Burger. Carl's = Jr. has=20 committed to contribute at least $25,000 to the relief efforts.=20
IHOP: IHOP = Corp.=20 will be making an initial contribution of $5,000 to AmeriCares, = and then=20 will match IHOP Corp. employees' donations up to another $5,000. = In=20 addition, franchisees across the country are donating to a = variety of=20 relief organizations to assist the victims of the tsunami.=20
Hoss's Steak and Sea House: Hoss's Steak and Sea House = raised a=20 whopping $73,000 by committing 50 percent of its total company = sales on=20 Jan. 18 to disaster relief. The family-restaurant company, which = has=20 more than 2,800 employees at 42 locations in Pennsylvania, West=20 Virginia, and Virginia, announced it will donate the remaining = $27,000=20 to reach its $100,000 goal. Hoss's is giving the money to relief = efforts=20 via the Save Our Children organization.=20
Erbert & Gerbert's: The 31-unit = franchised sub=20 shop, Erbert & = Gerbert's, which has locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin and = North=20 Dakota, contributed 10 percent of Jan. 26 sales at participating = stores=20 to tsunami relief, resulting in a donation of more than $1,800.=20
Shadowbrook Restaurant, Capitola, Calif. Shadowbrook = asked its=20 employees to share over a week's period of time some of their = tips and=20 wages with the victims of the tsunami. In addition, the = restaurant=20 pledged to match the employee contributions up to a total of = $1,000.=20
Siam Thai Restaurant, Kentucky: Siam Thai=20 Restaurant and the Thai Student Association of Kentucky, with = the help=20 of the Thai consulates of Chicago and New York, as well as the = mayor's=20 office in Lexington, held a silent auction Jan 8 at Siam = restaurant.=20 Over $5,000 was raised from the event and the Thailand General = Counsel=20 of Chicago came to present a thank-you letter from the Thai = government.=20 All money collected goes to the Department of Disaster = Prevention and=20 Mitigation, Ministry of Interior, Thailand.=20
Royal Thai Cuisine: Royal Thai = Cuisine=20 restaurants in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, California, are = hoping to=20 raise $10,000 at a Jan. 15 benefit dinner for a U.S.-based = tsunami=20 relief fund. Invitations to the dinner were sent to students of = Royal=20 Thai Cuisine's cooking classes; the Newport Beach Restaurant = Association=20 also lent its support.=20
KC Masterpiece Restaurants --On Jan. 24 KC Masterpiece = restaurants,=20 located in Kansas City and St. Louis, will host benefit dinners = to raise=20 money for tsunami victims. Guests pay $20 for an all-inclusive = dinner;=20 100 percent of the proceeds go to the American Red Cross for its = Tsunami=20 Disaster Relief Fund. KC Masterpiece vendors have also joined in = to=20 donate items to help raise additional funds.=20
Hobee's California Restaurants: The Hobee's restaurant chain = will donate=20 10 percent of all Saturday evening sales at four locations to = the=20 International Red Cross Tsunami Relief Fund; an additional = employee=20 collection yielded $700 for Red Cross efforts in teh region.=20
Pasta Pomodoro; On Jan. 18, 10 percent of = all=20 restaurant sales at Pasta=20 Pomodoro's 45 locations went to the American Red Cross = Tsunami=20 Relief fund.=20
Harry's Savoy Grill & Harry's Seafood = Grill:=20 From Jan. 31 to Feb. 5, Harry's, in = Wilmington, Del.,=20 will participate in Desserts for Disaster Relief. The restaurant = will=20 donate 50 percent of all dessert sales to the American Red = Cross.=20
Fair Deal Caf=C3=A9, White Plains, NY: In = collaboration=20 with the city of White Plains, the restaurant placed collection = boxes in=20 the restaurant for staff and guests, raising at least $1,300.=20
Artful Gourmet Bistro, Owings Mills, MD: = The=20 restaurant donated nearly $400 -- 5 percent of its sales from = Jan. 25 to=20 Jan. 27 -- to the American Red Cross International Response = Fund.=20
Il Fornaio, Corte Madera, Calif. -- On Jan. = 31, the=20 restaurant will donate 10 percent of its food sales to benefit = the=20 American Red Cross relief efforts. The company has set a goal of = $15,000=20 from the fundraiser.=20
Prime Sirloin, Claremont, NC: All proceeds = from=20 beverage sales on Jan. 20 were donated to the American Red = Cross.=20
Court Square Restaurant Group, South = Carolina --=20 Soby's New South Cuisine, Restaurant O and Soby's on the Side, = all part=20 of the Court Square Restaurant Group, hosted a fundraising = brunch and=20 donated 100 percent of the proceeds to the Upstate Chapter of = the=20 American Red Cross for their International Response Fund. The = event=20 raised $20,000.=20
Restaurant Kody, Evergreen, CO: On Jan. 26, = 15=20 percent of the restaurant's sales were were donated to the = American Red=20 Cross tsunami relief efforts.=20
Vermilion, Evening Star Caf=C3=A9 & Tallula = Restaurants,=20 Alexandria, VA: On Jan. 18, the three restaurants = donated to=20 the American Red Cross tsunami relief efforts a percentage of = lunch and=20 dinner sales, as well as donations at the bars. Some managers = and staff=20 also donated part of their salary and tips.=20
Wedgwood Broiler, Seattle, WA: On Jan. 31, = Wedgwood=20 Broiler donated proceeds of daily sales to the American Red = Cross=20 International Response Fund.=20
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers: From Jan. 11-31, = Red Robin Gourmet = Burgers=20 posted a banner on its Web site encouraging visitors to donate = directly=20 to the American Red Cross International Response Fund.=20
China Mist Tea Company: Throughout the = entire month=20 of February, the China = Mist Tea=20 Company plans to donate 50 percent of the month's gross = sales of its=20 consumer products to relief efforts in tsunami- and = earthquake-affected=20 communities. The proceeds will go directly to support United = Nations=20 Population Fund) emergency assistance to approximately 150,000 = pregnant=20 or nursing women in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Maldives.=20

-- by Alyssa Prince and Pamela Lessard =

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