“Come and Give It” to Help Fight Hunger at More Than 80 Restaurants and Bars, August 16 – September 3
Austin, TX – August 9, 2018 – Austin Restaurant Weeks (ARW), presented by Tito’s® Handmade Vodka, kicks off Thursday, August 16, and runs through Monday, September 3. The two-week-long dining attraction is a new annual fundraiser for the Central Texas Food Bank featuring prix fixe meals and drinks at more than 80 Austin area restaurants and bars.
During the event, a portion of the cost of each specially-priced meal and beverage offered by participating establishments will go directly to the Food Bank. So for locals and visitors alike, it’s a delicious and easy way to help fight hunger while enjoying some of the best restaurants Austin has to offer. Patrons won’t be directly solicited for donations and the proceeds will help provide thousands of meals each year to the 1 in 6 Central Texans who are food insecure.
“Central Texas Food Bank has been a leader in the fight against hunger for more than 35 years,” said Amy Lukken, Chief Joyologist at Tito’s. “We’re honored to partner with them on Austin Restaurant Weeks and help fight hunger in our community.”
More than 80 restaurants and bars will be participating in this inaugural Austin Restaurant Weeks. Having lunch, dinner and drink options will give diners many opportunities to explore restaurants and culinary options, while supporting the Food Bank in the fight against hunger. A full list of participating establishments, menus and reservations can be found at AustinRestaurantWeeks.org.
“Austin Restaurant Weeks is a great opportunity to come out and support the Central Texas Food Bank,” said Bryce Gilmore, Owner/Chef of Barley Swine, Odd Duck and Sour Duck Market. “As restaurateurs and chefs, it's very important that we take care of people. And that’s also what the Food Bank does, which is why we’re glad to do all we can to help.”
"Restaurants are an integral part of a community and we are honored to feed our customers while helping bridge the gap of food insecurity by participating in Austin Restaurant Weeks," said Maribel Rivero, Executive Chef at Yuyo.
Participating restaurants will be offering one or more of the following options during the event:
- A 2-3 course lunch priced at $25
- A 3-4 course dinner priced at either $35 or $45
- Some establishments will also be offering an $8 cocktail option or $6 beer option.
During Austin Restaurant Weeks, diners will have a chance to win prizes for dining at participating restaurants multiple times and having their ARW Dining Passport validated simply by asking their server for a sticker to affix to their Passport (or asking for a Passport if they don’t already have one). Rules and a list of prizes for the ARW Dining Passport can be found at AustinRestaurantWeeks.org/passport.
“Supporting the communities where we do business is very important to us,” said Larry Bell, President and Founder of Bell’s Brewery, the official beer sponsor of Austin Restaurant Weeks. “Partnering with the Central Texas Food Bank is a fantastic way to give back and help make a difference for Central Texans in need.”
Additional sponsors of Austin Restaurant Weeks include The Austin Chronicle, Bank of America, Bell’s Brewery, CultureMap Austin, Domain NORTHSIDE, Edible Austin, Fairmont Austin, Johnson’s Backyard Garden, ProductionFor, Screamer Co., SHIFT Communications, Tabulate, and W. Hamilton & Co., PLLC.
“We’re delighted that so many area businesses have come together to help fight hunger by participating in Austin Restaurant Weeks,” said Mark Jackson, Chief Development Officer of the Central Texas Food Bank. “Austin is not only a great food city, it’s also a very caring city.”
Menus for participating restaurants and bars, searchable by food type, location and other parameters can be found at AustinRestaurantWeeks.org. OpenTable® is the exclusive restaurant reservation partner for Austin Restaurant Weeks, so diners will be able to make reservations on the ARW website with those restaurants that use OpenTable or be linked out to whatever method the restaurant uses.
For details regarding Austin Restaurant Weeks, please visit AustinRestaurantWeeks.org.
Follow Austin Restaurant Weeks on:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AustinRestaurantWeeks/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/austinrestaurantweeks/
Twitter: @ATXRestWeeks
Videos featuring Austin Restaurant Weeks sponsors and restaurants can be found at: https://vimeo.com/austinrestaurantweeks.
For media – Logos and other Austin Restaurant Weeks brand assets can be found at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rjcz86sj5h50uht/AADaDFGAkqbdXiBcEzR7ztpCa?dl=0
ABOUT THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK
The mission of Central Texas Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in the fight against hunger. Founded in 1981, the Food Bank provides food and grocery products through a network of about 300 Partner Agencies and nutrition programs, serving nearly 46,000 people every week. Headquartered in Austin, the Food Bank serves 21 counties in Central Texas, an area about twice the size of Massachusetts. For more information on the Food Bank and its programs, visit centraltexasfoodbank.org.
ABOUT TITO’S HANDMADE VODKA
Tito’s Handmade Vodka is America’s Original Craft Vodka. In 1997, Bert “Tito” Beveridge, now a 50-something geophysicist, obtained the first legal permit to distill in Texas and created Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Tito’s distills its corn-based vodka using old-fashioned pot stills and the vodka is naturally Gluten-Free. Tito’s Handmade Vodka is distilled and bottled by Fifth Generation Inc. in Austin, Texas, and is available in Liter, 1.75L, 750ml, 375ml, 200ml and 50ml sizes. For more information, visit www.titosvodka.com.
