Eat’n Park, a Pittsburgh based family restaurant chain, was honored by the National Restaurant Association with a 2011 Restaurant Neighbor Award. Eat’n Park works to hold raffles and donation drives to benefit children’s hospitals both in the area and around the country. The business has donated over $7 million to these recipients over the past two decades.
Michael Whalen, CEO and president of Heart of America Restaurants, also received a Restaurant Neighbor Award. Whalen was also named the 2011 Cornerstone Humanitarian for his work with troubled youth through Wildwood Hills Ranch in Iowa, which he founded and runs. The Ranch is currently only operating in the summer, but Whalen plans to open a year round facility as well.
Kona Kai Coffee Company, a small coffee shop based in Kent, Washington received the small business Restaurant Neighbor Award. The coffee company works to help disenfranchised and homeless people in its neighbor with progressive programs. Participants received six to eight weeks of on the job food and retail training that helps them find work. All Restaurant Neighbor award winners receive $5,000 towards their community projects.
The Charleston Chefs Feed the Need group was also honored for their work in the community by the National Restaurant Association. 52 restaurant owners from around Charleston, South Carolina form the staff of this charity that provides hot meals every Wednesday for the city’s hungry and homeless population. Mickey Bakst, manager of the Charleston Grill, organized the program.
Chipotle Mexican Grill named its 200th restaurateur. The Restaurateur group is formed from the top franchise restaurant managers who have shown exceptional skill at increasing sales, hiring skilled employees and promoting the Chipotle’s brand. Monty Moran was the 200th member of this club that was formed 5 years ago to promote excellence among general managers.
Chicago diners and visitors to the Windy City should pick up a copy of the new Chicago magazine to discover the best new restaurants in the city. The magazine features 22 new dining hot spots with innovative menus, quality ingredients and good values. Restaurants featured include Sable Kitchen & Bar, Cumin, Girl & Goat and Davanti Enoteca.
Top Chef fans may be excited to hear that Top Chef Masters Contender Suvir Saran will be in Silicon Valley at the end of the month to promote the Dining Out for Life event. This event raises awareness and funding for HIV/AIDS patients struggling to survive. 40 restaurants in Silicon Valley will donate at least 25% of their proceeds during the event to The Health Trust AIDS Services.
Burger King Capital Holdings has announced the forthcoming release of new senior discount notes that will come due in 2019. The notes will accrete until 2016, and for the last three years will accrue cash interest. Burger King Capital Holdings and BK Capital hope that the sales will bring in over $300 million dollars after fees and expenses.
The Fish City Grill is holding its second annual Oyster Eating Contest and Oyster Fest at all Texas locations. The contest will take place on April 16th and 17th, but customers can enjoy fresh oyster dishes like Oyster Nachos and Buffalo Oyster Tacos for the entire week. Competition teams must have a pledge amount of at least $300 to compete, as the event will be raising money for children’s cancer charities.
Red Marlin restaurant is offering a special Coastal Brunch Buffet to make your Mother’s Day truly memorable. Located on Mission Bay, the restaurant will serve brunch dishes created by Chef de Cuisine Danny Bannister from 10 am to 2 pm. A children’s buffet will also be provided, and children under 5 will eat free.