Grand Rapids, Michigan — Aug. 9, 2016 — Terra GR is expecting big crowds when Restaurant Week begins this Wednesday, but they’re hoping to feed more than their own patrons.
That’s because Terra will donate $1 — the equivalent of four meals — to Feeding America West Michigan for every Restaurant Week special they serve. On top of that, every customer who makes their own gift to the food bank will get a voucher for a free communal item or dessert. (Download the Press Release)
“We know all of that money stays in the local community,” said general manager Chris McDonald. “It’s kind of a no-brainer for us.”
McDonald adds that Restaurant Week, a time when Grand Rapids collectively obsesses over food, is the perfect opportunity to draw attention to the reality that 1 in 8 people in the region struggles to get enough to eat.
Terra GR has been involved with Feeding America West Michigan for years. Their 2015 Restaurant Week fundraiser supported the distribution of more than 2,000 meals, and Terra staff are heading to Ham Family Farm this Wednesday to pick vegetables for the organization.
As for their Restaurant Week menu, McDonald says he’s most excited about the peach gazpacho and the root beer-braised barbecue short ribs, featuring draft root beer from Grand Rapids-based Brix Soda Co.
“Our chef Abby’s just done an amazing job with this,” McDonald said. The menu is available online.
Terra GR is also taking part in Feeding America West Michigan’s Hops Against Hunger initiative in September. Part of Hunger Action Month, Hops Against Hunger unites breweries and restaurants throughout West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula in support of their neighbors in need.
About Feeding America West Michigan. Serving local families in need since 1981, Feeding America West Michigan reclaims safe surplus food from farmers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers. That food is distributed through a network of nearly 1,100 food pantries, youth programs, and other hunger-relief agencies in 40 counties from the Indiana border through the Upper Peninsula. Each year, an estimated 492,100 people receive food from Feeding America West Michigan. For more information, visit FeedWM.org.