• Home
  • About NMRA
    • We Are the Restaurant Industry in New Mexico
    • Staff List
    • BLOG from the CEO and Chair
    • NMRA Annual Sponsors
    • Contact Us
  • Membership
    • Member Login
    • Restaurants Join Now
    • Members Return on Investment
    • Associate Membership
      • Advertise with NMRA
    • Online Buyers Guide
    • Members-Only Savings
  • Classes
    • Online Alcohol Server Training
    • Alcohol Server Certification Classroom
    • Food Safety Certification
    • ManageFirst
    • Webinars
  • Advocacy
    • Legislative Issues 2019
      • Legislative Alerts
      • Legislative Tracker
    • Legal and Regulatory Alerts
      • Press Releases
      • Member Newsletter Archive
    • Scams
  • Resources
    • Restaurant Resource Links
    • NM AGD Regulations
    • New Mexico Food Safety Regulations
    • Minimum Wage in New Mexico
    • FAQ’s
    • Toolkit
  • Foundation
    • Scholarships
    • ProStart Program
  • Classifieds
    • Job Bank
  • Calendar
    • Events

NMRA

Helping Restaurants in New Mexico be Successful

Restaurants Give Back – Ways to Support the Community

May 9, 2018 by Amber Ballog

Restaurants can give back to the community in unique ways.

Patronage and customer loyalty is based on trust. Customers trust that they will get quality service and good food when they dine out. Restaurants trust that their community will keep coming back for more.

Giving back to the community your restaurant feeds will in turn feed your restaurant. Here are some simple, yet powerful and meaningful, ways your restaurant can give back.

Donate Unused Food

Food waste is a $96 billion problem – every year. Meanwhile, a shocking one in six Americans is facing hunger.

New Mexico Restaurant Association contributed to a booklet called Managing Food Waste in New Mexico Restaurants produced by the New Mexico Recycling Coalition.

Restaurant managers do their absolute best to purchase the precise amount of ingredients the restaurant will need. However, that doesn’t always happen.

Feeding America is stepping in to bridge the gap between wasted food and the hunger problem in America. They get extra food from their restaurant into the hands of individuals in need. This eliminates two major problems at the same time!

Donate a Percentage of Profits to Charity

One great way to raise funds for a charity of your choosing is to dedicate one evening or day to raising money for the charitable cause.

Commit to donating a percentage of profits to that charity and publicize the event widely. Drawing a large crowd benefits both the charity and your restaurant as a large crowd will mitigate the impact the donations have on your bottom line.

Host a Food Drive

Any fundraiser or charity initiative that involves food is a natural fit for your restaurant. Plus it’s easy and effective.

Simply hang up some flyers and set up a visible collection space for customers to bring their items to donate. Promote your food drive on social media to get customers up to speed.

Support Our Military

A military discount honors and supports both the active duty and veteran men and women who have served our country. There are multiple ways you can implement a military discount.

You can offer an ongoing discount – such as 5 or 10 percent – to service members. Alternatively, you can designate a specific day where you offer special discounts or deals to service members. Military Monday anyone?

Supporting our military through special restaurant industry initiatives is a great way to give back to those who have served our country. Customers will also appreciate that you care about our military.

Sponsor or Host a Charity Event

Another way to show your support to the community is to sponsor or host a charity event. You can sponsor an event by donating food or services to that event. Hosting an event means providing your facilities, which can also be done in your restaurant’s off hours.

There is a Host of Ways to Help

Restaurants give back to their communities in many creative ways.  90% of restaurant operators say their restaurant supports charities:

  • 85% give food
  • 79% donate cash
  • 40% provide space for events

However you decide to give back, your community will undoubtedly recognize and appreciate your efforts.

Bonus Perk: Restaurants give back to help charities and the community, but any of these activities can also be a tax write-off!

Want to share what your restaurant or business is doing to help our community? Send us an email and we will get the word out!

Share this...
Email this to someone
email
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest

Filed Under: Notes from the CEO and Chair, Toolkit Tagged With: charity, community event, food drive, fundraiser, restaurant neighbor, restaurants give back, support, support our military

Online Buyer’s Guide

Stay in the know!

FAQ’s

Serving Alcohol 101

Serving Alcohol 101

Have a few questions about serving alcohol in New Mexico?  We've got you covered! Here at NMRA, we answer a lot of calls and inquiries about alcohol service.  Maybe you've even taken one of our … [Read More...]

More Posts from this Category

Save Our Tips Petition Signers

Videos from NMRA

What Are the Secrets to Restaurant Success?

What Are the Secrets to Restaurant Success?

Check out this informative video with NMRA CEO, Carol Wight and Jeff Harrison with SwingPointMedia on making your restaurant more successful. Now are you ready to make your restaurant more successful? Check out our very helpful Restaurant Success Guide today! You can always contact Carol with any questions you may have at executive@nmrestaurants.org or call […]

The 2018 Hospitality Industry Award Winners

The 2018 Hospitality Industry Award Winners

The New Mexico Restaurant Association is pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 Hospitality Industry Awards that took place on Monday, September 10th at Embassy Suites in Downtown Albuquerque. Over 450 individuals attended this year’s 1920’s, Prohibition-era, Gatsby themed event which also recognized New Mexico’s “Most Wanted” Restaurant Neighbor, Chef, Manager, and also gave […]

More Posts from this Category

NMRA Annual Sponsors

Contact

New Mexico Restaurant Association
9201 Montgomery NE Suite 602
Albuquerque, NM 87111
505.343.9848
dining@nmrestaurants.org

Our Mission

Our mission is to empower the food and beverage industry by promoting and protecting common values and interests.

Our Vision

Through the active participation of our members, NMRA will be the leading advocate and invaluable resource for education, political action, information and services for our industry and the community we serve.

Copyright © 2019 · by The New Mexico Restaurant Association · Website Powered by: Swell Host