Houston Restaurant Weeks Two Weeks Away; More Than 250 Restaurants Signed Up So Far

HOUSTON, TX — Restaurateurs in Houston never looked forward to the month of August until several years ago when Houston Restaurant Weeks launched. But since then, the hottest month of the year has become one of the hottest revenue months of the year as well.

Not just the restaurants, either. Money from participating restaurants goes back into the Houston Food Bank, which is the largest food bank in America.

Houston Restaurant Weeks kicks off on Tuesday, Aug. 1 and will end on Sept. 4. Since HRW is planned entirely by volunteers, participating restaurants can donate 100 percent of the funds raised to the Houston Food Bank based on the number of brunches, lunches and dinners they sell during the event.

“For us we kill two birds with one stone,” said Fred Espinoza, chief operating officer of Cordua Restaurants, which has eight units participating, including six Churrascos locations. “Obviously we’re in business to make money, but to participate in this is special. Every dollar the food bank takes in is like three daily meals.”

Participating restaurants can be found on the event’s website, and each has a planned meal and price. For example, a $22 meal is a 2-3 course brunch, with $3 of that going to the food bank, which would provide nine meals from the Food Bank.

The four different meal prices are:

• $20 (2-3 course lunch with $3 to HFB)

• $22 (2-3 course bunch with $3 to HFB)

• $35 (3-4 course dinner with $5 to HFB)

• $45 (3-4 course dinner with $7 to HFB)

Espinoza said for some of their restaurants like Churrascos in River Oaks or Sugarland, Champions, Memorial City or Westchase, it’s a chance for folks to enjoy a meal at $35 or $45 apiece instead of $70 per person.

Americas in The Woodlands and Artista on Bagby in Houston are two other Cordua Restaurants participating.

As of Thursday, more than 260 restaurants had signed up to participate. restaurants in Montgomery and Galveston county will also participate, with money going to their respective food banks, too. Dinners in restaurants will not be solicited for any funds, per the HRW website.

A list of restaurants and menus for each can be found on the here.

Photo vis Getty Images