Restaurant Week Returns

for Food, Fun & a Good Cause

By Scott Berson

For almost half a decade, Columbus residents have had one thing we knew we could look forward to every year: Restaurant Week. Restaurant Week turns the focus on our city’s amazing food scene, which is getting more impressive and diverse each day. The pandemic threw a wrench into that in a lot of ways. Restaurants have struggled, and some even closed. Plans were put on hold, or abandoned completely. Workers dangled on the tightrope.

But now Restaurant Week is here, like the return of a good friend, and it’s looking better than ever, while supporting the hardworking folks in the industry at the same time. This year’s Restaurant Week will take place from July 26 - August 1.

“We’re going into our fifth year of Restaurant Week, and yet again we are ready to celebrate our culinary scene,” said Katie Bishop, cofounder of Yalla Public Relations, which organizes the event. “We have 25 to 30 restaurants. We even have some across the Valley, so not just in Columbus.”

Here’s how it works: Each local restaurant will submit a three-course menu with a price of either $15, $30 or $40. All you need to do is head onto the restaurant week website, where all the participating restaurants and their menus are located, and check to make sure the restaurant does not require reservations. If you are walking into the restaurant versus reserving, be sure to ask for the restaurant week menu. It’s a great way to experience the many, many incredible dining opportunities around town in a curated, affordable way.

“Typically it’s one of the busiest weeks for restaurants during the year. It’s really a make or break for a lot of people,” Bishop said. “People miss sitting in a restaurant and getting served. It’s a big week for restaurants in general and it’s important for people to get back out and supporting the local restaurants.”

One of the ways that support is being enhanced is through the addition of a fundraising campaign that will donate money to the Giving Kitchen, a charity that provides support to restaurant industry workers who face sudden challenges. Giving Kitchen had one of the busiest years ever in 2020, Bishop said, and they were able to offer people across the state of Georgia grants and assistance to get by. Over the last year, Giving Kitchen has had a heavy focus on educating and supporting mental health awareness in the foodservice industry.

“There are lots of mental health issues in the service industry, and Giving Kitchen has worked really hard over the last couple years to not only provide assistance to people affected by those things, but also provide free training to staff, managers, and owners, so they can handle tough situations,” Bishop said.

Giving Kitchen has been a force in Columbus for years, and the organization says it is proud to be here and helping keep the local food scene healthy and thriving.

“Giving Kitchen is proud to be able to serve the Columbus, Georgia area’s food service workers,” said Jen Hidinger-Kendrick Co-Founder, Marketing and Communications Director at The Giving Kitchen. “Over the last year our industry has been hit hard, and we know they are still climbing out of some of the hardest times imaginable. The Giving Kitchen is here to help food service workers in times of crisis. Whether it’s a mental or physical health crisis, we are the safety net this industry has always needed. We can’t thank U.S. Foods and Restaurant Week enough by making Giving Kitchen the beneficiary yet again of this exciting week in Columbus. Partners like them allow us to offer the resources needed and to reach the people that need us most. If you are a food service worker in the area who is in need of assistance, know that The Giving Kitchen is here to help.”

In addition to the week benefitting Giving Kitchen, Restaurant Week will kick-off with a FREE party for Restaurant Industry workers. Participating Restaurants will have a chance to partake in an educational cooking course hosted by U.S. Foods, then experience a party with food and booze to celebrate the start of Restaurant Week. This event will be held on Sunday, July 25th. For more information, visit the Yalla PR Facebook page.

To learn more about Restaurant Week, or to donate to the Giving Kitchen, check out the Restaurant Week website at www.yallapr.com/restaurantweek. “We encourage people to go out and eat, and take care of the people who take care of us so often,” Bishop said.