Dining Donations Support Students

AS TOURISM SLOWS AND STUDENTS ARE BACK IN SCHOOL. SEPTEMBER IS HISTORICALLY THE SLOWEST MONTH OF THE YEAR FOR THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY. BUT ONE ANNUAL EVENT IS CELEBRATING A MILESTONE FOR BRINGING CUSTOMERS TO THE TABLE. ALL FOR A GREAT CAUSE. WGCUS TEDDY BYRNE HAS MORE. >> 10 YEARS AGO, SIZZLE DINING BEGAN AS A WAY FOR SOUTHWEST FLORIDA RESTAURANTS TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. AND IT STARTS BY TAKING A GOOD LOOK AT WHAT SHOULD BE ON THE MENU. >> 2 YEARS AGO, THE EVENT SOLD 60 SOMETHING 1000 DINNERS LAST YEAR. THE EVENT SOLD 87,000. SOMETHING DINNERS THIS YEAR. WE'RE HOPING FOR 10TH ANNIVERSARY TO DO OVER $100,000. >> GUY, CLARK IS PRETTY GOOD AT THIS. WHEN HE FOUNDED SIZZLE DINING A DECADE AGO, HE STARTED BY RECRUITING 26 RESTAURANTS TO OFFER A DISCOUNTED 3 COURSE MEAL WITH A PORTION GOING TO A LOCAL CHARITY WITH PREVIOUS SUCCESS RUNNING BACON FEST. CLARKE NEW THE REGION WAS READY FOR AN ANNUAL FOOD CENTRIC CELEBRATION. >> IT WASN'T THAT I WANTED TO START. IT WASN'T SOMETHING. THAT I HAD AND HE REALLY BROUGHT TOGETHER FOODIE FRIEND OF MINE DID COME TO ME AND SAID YOU REALIZE WE DON'T HAVE A RESTAURANT WEEK HERE IN TOWN AND THE MINUTE HE HAD SAID THAT I JUST I HAD THIS EPIPHANY AHEAD IS VISION INTO THE FUTURE OF WHAT IT COULD BE. >> THE CONCEPT WAS ONE THAT ORIGINALLY WORKED IN NEW YORK CITY AT THE CENTER OF THE RESTAURANT WEEK, A PRICE REDUCED PREFIX, MENU. THAT IDEA BECAME CRUCIAL TO GUY SOUTHWEST FLORIDA VERSION. >> I'VE SEEN IN THE VERY FIRST YEAR OF US HAVING TO EXPLAIN TO THE RESTAURANT'S WHAT 3 COURSE MENUS WERE. WHAT RESTAURANT WEEK WAS AND THEN 10 YEARS LATER NOW, THIS YEAR, EVERY SINGLE RESTAURANT HAS A 3 COURSE MENU DURING THE SUMMER. EVERY SINGLE RESTAURANT AS EMBRACING THAT 3 COURSE KIND OF STYLE MEAL. SO IT'S BEEN A REALLY NEAT THING TO WATCH THAT GROW OVER THE LAST 9 YEARS. >> FOR RESTAURANT TOURS SUCH AS GRANT FEELING JOINING SIZZLE DINING WAS A NO-BRAINER. PHELAN FAMILY RESTAURANTS, WHICH OWNS LOCAL SPOTS SUCH AS PINCHERS AND SHOPS WAS PART OF THE INAUGURAL COLLECTION OF RESTAURANTS. NOW A NEW ESTABLISHMENT BIMINI BASIN IN CAPE CORAL HAS JOINED THE ANNUAL TRADITION. >> GENERALLY, THOUGH, SIZZLE, IT'S GOTTEN SO WELL KNOWN OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. AND MOST PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR THIS MANY WHEN THEY COME IN SO THEY KNOW WHAT TO DO. AND THEY'RE ASKING FOR >> OVER THE COURSE OF 10 YEARS FEELING HAS SEEN SIZZLE, DINING, GROW AND HELP EXPAND THE FOOD CULTURE IN THE REGION. THE FOOD INDUSTRY OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAS GROWN. >> SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE 30 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS DOWN HERE AND NOW YOU HAVE 140 DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS PARTICIPATING IN SIZZLE. SEEMS LIKE THAT'S GOT TO BE 70, 80% OF THE RESTAURANTS AND ALL OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. AND IT'S JUST A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO GET OUT AND TRY DIFFERENT THINGS AT THE HEART OF THE EVENT, THE CONCEPT OF GIVING BACK. >> WITH THE PURCHASE OF EVERY SIZZLE DINING MEAL COMES A DONATION TO THE NON-PROFIT BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK. >> IT'S REALLY NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART BECAUSE I GREW UP WITH A SINGLE MOM. SHE WORKED 3 JOBS. THAT WASN'T ALWAYS FOOD IN THE IN THE FRIDGE. I WAS A LATCH KEY KIDS. I WAS ONE OF THOSE FREE LUNCH KIDS. SO I REALLY KNEW WHAT IT MEANT AND WHAT I FOUND OUT, WHAT BLESSINGS DOES THEY FEED THE KIDS ON THE WEEKENDS, HELP THEM GET THROUGH THE WEEKENDS. IT REALLY RESONATED AND MADE SENSE. MY MOM WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS IN THE COLLIER COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEMS. >> SO WHENEVER AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP THE SCHOOL SYSTEM'S COMES UP, WE STILL ALWAYS GIVE BACK AND ALWAYS WELL. >> THE EVENT ALSO GIVES BACK TO THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY WORKERS. SEPTEMBER IS NORMALLY A DOWN MONTH FOR RESTAURANTS AND SOME LOCATIONS OPERATE AT A LOSS UNTIL SEASON PICKS UP AGAIN. THE CHANCE TO ATTRACT CUSTOMERS WITH DISCOUNTED PRICES HELPS THOSE WHO MAKE A LIVING IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY. >> YOU KNOW? >> WHEN THE SERVER COMES UP TO YOU AT THE END OF SIZZLE AND SAYS. >> THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, I WAS ABLE TO MAKE MORE MONEY FROM TIPS THAT I DID IN THE PRIOR SEPTEMBER. I CAN BUY CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR MY KIDS. IT JUST HITS YOU RIGHT IN THE HEART TO KNOW THAT THE DISHWASHERS ARE MAKING EXTRA HOURS TO KNOW THAT THE BARTENDERS ARE MAKING EXTRA TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE REALLY AFFECTING SO MANY PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, ALMOST 20 MILLION DOLLARS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT IN THE LAST 10 YEARS. IT JUST IT. I I'M SPEECHLESS ON HOW HOW MAKES ME FEEL. >> FOLLOWING 10 YEARS OF STEADY GROWTH, GUYS ALREADY THINKING OF NEXT YEAR AND WAYS TO IMPROVE ON WHAT HAS BECOME PART OF THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA DINING CALENDAR STARTING NEXT YEAR, WORK HAPPENING AT 150 RESTAURANT SO THAT WE CAN START WORKING ON THE QUALITY. >> FOR A LIST OF ALL RESTAURANTS PARTICIPATING IN SIZZLE DINING, YOU CAN HEAD TO SIZZLE, DINING DOT ORG WITH VIDEOGRAPHY BY JOSEPH LA SHAWN AND FOR WGCU NEWS. I'M TEDDY BYRNE..