Food and Favors
Grab a bite while also giving back to the community
AUSTIN — Each year Austin’s streets are filled with giant inflatable balloons, festive holiday floats, marching bands and a big red fish in sunglasses; and so begins The Annual Chuy’s Children Giving To Children Parade. The Chuy’s parade is one of the most obvious examples of Austin’s food scene giving back to the community. In addition to parades and food drives, donations to charities are popular with restaurants and food businesses. The local food scene promotes parades, food drives, donations and charities as a few ways to give back. The Chuy’s Restaurant along with many local food companies are striving to give back to the community that gives so much to them.
“I have worked here at Chuy’s for a few years now, but the parade is by far the most memorable thing I have experienced in my time here, getting to meet the children and seeing the impact we make on them as a community never fails to remind me how easy it can be to do good and how coming together for such a short period of time can have a lasting effect on those in our community who need it most,” Nathan Blevins, local Chuy’s waiter and parade organizer said.
This year marks the 31st annual Chuy’s Parade. Chuy’s co-founder Mike Young came up with the idea to give back to the community to benefit Austin Police Operation Blue Santa, an organization dedicated to providing toys, gifts and meals to families in need during the holiday.
“You don’t appreciate the thing you have ‘till they’re gone… this project and parade gave me a first-hand account of the lives I’m impacting and helping put a smile on a less fortunate person’s face makes everything worth it,” Blevins said.
Austin Gourmet Popcorn has been donating proceeds and food since the day they opened.
This popcorn business is a family-owned, in-house popcorn and candy venue, otherwise known as A.G.P. They fundraise and donate popcorn and candy to many organizations.
“We give back by providing local schools and youth programs with free popcorn, allowing them to sell the popcorn and take the profits to help their program,” said Lilly Sullivan, Manager of Austin Gourmet Popcorn.
Places like Chuy’s and A.G.P are drawn to certain organizations when trying to help and give back.
“The owners met here in Austin at UT, they stayed here in Austin, where Alison became a teacher, and they raised their two sons. So they are very fond of the Austin community and try to help out as much as possible, especially in schools or any program that benefits children in the community,” Sullivan said.
A new law requiring Austin restaurants to compost food scraps and leftovers has been the impetus for another form of charitable giving — food donations to local charities. According to the Universal Recycling Ordinance, a law was passed that required Austin restaurants to compost food scrapes and leftovers accordingly. Many restaurants in Austin have increased their donations of left over food to local charities. Home Slice Pizzeria is one of those.
“Over the past 12 years, we have dialed in our prep amounts each morning, so that we waste little to no food each night,” Sara Ronder, special projects assistance of Home Slice Pizzeria said.
Home Slice factors in sales, weather and special events when preparing for the day and the little food that is left over is donated to local homeless shelters.
Home Slice also has many fundraisers and events they put on to contribute to charities. DOUGHvember is one their biggest events.
During November the pizzeria donates a portion of its sales to different charities.
“The DOUGHvember event in 2018 allowed us to raise over $29,000 highlighting four local charities, SAFE Alliance, Carrying Hope, Austin Bat Cave, and CASA of Travis County through a partnership with other local pizzerias and breweries,” said Ronder.
Another popular restaurant that shares a passion for public outreach is Hopdoddy Burger Bar.
Hopdoddies established The Goodnight / Good Cause giving program. Their Goodnight program means for every Goodnight burger ordered a portion of proceeds go to a charitable partner in the community.
Many of these restaurants have also found a warm spot for animal shelters. Lucky Lab Coffee, a coffee and pastry shop and Cane Rosso, a restaurant specializing in Neapolitan pizzas, both have a passion to save abandoned and sheltered dogs.
Cane Rosso owner Jay Jerrier started The Cane Rosso Rescue in 2014 with the mission of creating a network of shelters as well as finding homes for homeless dogs. In a similar fashion Lucky Lab Coffee donates a portion of proceeds to Lucky Lab Rescue, a shelter dedicated to finding homes for unwanted and abandoned Labradors.
The greater Austin community gets involved and supports local places and these local food services have brought community into their business. They are constantly starting and running fundraisers, donating profits and reaching out to organizations.
