Andrew Creighton hopes Nelson residents treat themselves to a dinner out so their less fortunate neighbours can eat as well.
Twelve local restaurants are participating in Restaurants For Change on Oct. 20. Patrons who order dinner at the restaurants that night will have the cost of their meal donated to the Nelson Community Food Centre.
The fundraiser began with just two restaurants taking part in 2018, then five in 2019. After a year off, Creighton said he was surprised by the number of businesses that wanted to chip in.
“This year has been kind of remarkable in that I wasn’t really sure what the response would be when I asked people. I just asked a couple of restaurant folks who I know that we worked with in the past, and they were like, ‘Yes, let’s do it.’”
The food centre, located at 602 Silica St., runs the Good Food Bank, a community garden, food skills classes and a program that harvests fruit and vegetables from local gardens and farms that would have gone to waste.
Creighton says he’ll be visiting each restaurant on Oct. 20 to explain the fundraiser as well the food centre’s programs.
“It’s a really fun community experience where everybody gets together and goes out for a meal.”
The Black Cauldron, which opened in April, is one of this year’s participating restaurants.
Co-owner Stephen Barton said it was important to The Black Cauldron staff that they get involved in community initiatives like Restaurants For Change in their first year of operating.
“I think it’s great. I think this is the kind of thing that every town should have,” said Barton. “It’s just something that a lot of people sadly sometimes need and it’s the kind of thing where people who are slightly more fortunate just need to do their part and help out a little bit. So I think what they’re doing is great, and especially with the community garden and stuff that they’ve got out front here, it’s a nice set up.”
Here’s a list of every restaurant taking part this year:
Broken Hill, Cantina del Centro, Mainstreet Diner, Marzano, The Outer Clove, Pitchfork, The Black Cauldron, Yum Son, Louie’s Steakhouse, Kootenay Tamil, The Library Lounge, and General Store Restaurant.