Restaurants Give Back

Around the county, hundreds of restaurants do their own philanthropic work

The holidays are months away, but the giving spirit is already here. American Idol’s second annual, celebrity-filled Idols Give Back telethon show urged viewers to donate for the less fortunate in the United States and Africa. Talk-show host and humanitarian Oprah Winfrey debuted her new hit show, Oprah’s Big Give, in which contestants were told to “give big or go home.”

Around the county, hundreds of restaurants from the California Restaurant Association San Diego Chapter are doing their own philanthropic work.

“Supporting the community of which we are a part has always been a fundamental priority for the California Restaurant Association San Diego Chapter,” says Mike Mitchell, CRA San Diego president and Oceanaire restaurant general manager. “This is true across the entire restaurant industry in San Diego. It’s about the people we share this city with. And if they are in need of assistance, we’re there to help out any way we can.”

From donations to fund-raisers big and small, check out what your local eateries are doing.

Earmarking money for education

Each year, CRA San Diego hosts a Gold Medallion Awards Banquet and Auction. The soiree is a time for restaurant peers to commend each other’s excellence. But the night is also a giant fund-raiser that raises money to support culinary arts programs at local high schools. In the past, Morse High School, Garfield High School and Mira Mesa High School have all received CRA’s support to purchase new equipment and expand educational opportunities.

CRA chefs have also donated their time and talents to San Diego State University’s Hospitality and Tourism Management students. The CRA has given more than $200,000 to support the university.

The Amachi Program

The Cohn Restaurant Group has served up San Diego hotspots for years, managing a dozen restaurants, including Corvette Diner, The Prado and Indigo Grill. The group works with Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County as a sponsor of the Amachi program, which is designed to mentor children with parents in prison. More than 15,000 children in San Diego County are estimated to have a parent in prison, according to the BBBS of San Diego. Statistics show about 80 percent of children with incarcerated parents end up behind bars themselves.

“Amachi is an African term that loosely translates into ‘Who knows but God what this child may bring,’” says David Cohn, owner of the Cohn Restaurant Group. “Mentoring programs provide these children with the opportunity to realize their full potential.”

Other acts of kindness

Australian pub Bondi opened its doors to raise money for fellow Aussie Rob Schneider. In February, Schneider was brutally attacked while vacationing in San Diego for his birthday. He was thrown into an Ocean Beach fire pit and left for dead. Schneider was in a coma for weeks and suffered third-degree burns on 15 percent of his body. The Bondi event raised thousands of dollars to help pay for Schneider’s medical expenses.

Phil’s BBQ fans show their love year after year by making Phil’s a regular Best Barbecue winner in San Diego Magazine’s Best Restaurants Readers’ Poll. And Phil’s returns the favor with nearly a quarter of a million dollars in donations during the past decade. Phil’s supports local charities including the American Diabetes Association, Home Start, the Abused Prevention Foundation, and various schools across the county.

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