A group of Princeton-area restaurateurs and businesses has come together to to fight hunger this holiday season. Dubbed “Princeton Restaurants Against Hunger” (PRESTAH), the new campaign has been created to boost a sense of community and to help those most in need during this challenging economic environment. The group aims to raise $50,000 through sales and donations during the month of December.
Motivated by the slogan, “Eat Local, Share Local,” participating restaurants pledge to make donations tied to their business throughout the month. Area businesses, led by seed funders Steve Shueh and Howard Alter of Roundview Capital, will also make donations to the campaign to help ensure that HomeFront, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, and Crisis Ministry are well prepared to feed the hungry this holiday season and beyond.
In planning for his own firm’s holiday celebration, Shueh was looking for an innovative way to drum up support for local nonprofits. He spoke to Raoul and Carlo Momo of Terra Momo Restaurant Group and the idea was born. The campaign will run during the month of December, with each restaurant having the discretion to select the mechanism it uses to raise money to fight hunger.
As of Thursday, December 4, the following restaurants and businesses have agreed to participate in the PRESTAH campaign:
The Bent Spoon, Blue Point Grill, Camillo’s Cafe, Eno Terra, Ichiban, JL Ivy, Main Street Bistro & Bar, Mediterra, Teresa Caffe, Whole Earth Center, Witherspoon Grill, and the Yankee Doodle Tap Room at the Nassau Inn.
“This is cause marketing at its most grassroots level,” says Ted Deutsch, whose firm, Deutsch Communications, is helping coordinate the campaign. “Through PRESTAH, local restaurants are encouraging people to come out and enjoy community, while also supporting organizations that provide short and long-term solutions to hunger.”
