{"id":158020,"date":"2026-02-10T05:52:24","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T05:52:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/158020\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T05:52:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T05:52:24","slug":"dining-events-to-feed-houston-food-bank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/158020\/","title":{"rendered":"Dining events to feed Houston Food Bank"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe proceeds for Eat Drink HTX<\/a>, a two-week-long charity dining event in February, will go to the Houston Food Bank this year\u2014a change from previous years when funds were split among two or more different nonprofits.<\/p>\n

Officials with Eat Drink HTX, the sister event to Houston\u2019s largest annual foodie fundraiser, Houston Restaurant Weeks<\/a>, made the announcement in early January.<\/p>\n

This year, 130 restaurants will participate in the program, with nearly 50% of participants located inside Loop 610.<\/p>\n

Current situation<\/p>\n

Katie Stone, president of The Cleverley Stone Foundation<\/a>, which produces both Eat Drink HTX and HRW, said they chose the Houston Food Bank due to the recent financial strain and challenges it experienced last year.<\/p>\n

The food bank saw major cuts in federal funding and basic agricultural products in 2025, as well as a 43-day government shutdown that affected funding.<\/p>\n

Julie Voss, chief development officer for the Houston Food Bank, said the non-profit lost more than $11 million in federal funding last year, which equated to about 40 tractor-trailer loads of food, as well as the loss of some community support programs.<\/p>\n

However, Voss said in the wake of the federal funding cuts, she has seen the amount of philanthropic support increase, making up a \u201cfar larger\u201d portion than it previously did.<\/p>\n

\"chartWhat’s being done<\/p>\n

Stone said allowing the Houston Food Bank<\/a> to be the sole beneficiary of this year\u2019s funds from Eat Drink HTX will hopefully help them to continue to \u201creach more areas and more people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re really lucky that we have the world\u2019s largest food bank by distribution in Houston, which can reach more people on a daily basis,\u201d she said. \u201cBecause of that impact, and because of how efficient they are, we decided to make them the sole beneficiary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the past 20 years, Houston Restaurant Weeks has raised approximately $22 million for the Houston Food Bank, which equates to about 66 million meals, according to the foundation\u2019s website. Meanwhile, Eat Drink HTX, which is celebrating its fifth year in 2026, has raised $76,000.<\/p>\n

Voss said HRW is by far the food bank\u2019s largest event and provides a \u201csubstantial\u201d amount of money to the nonprofit, as does Eat Drink HTX.<\/p>\n

\"table\u201cThe funds we get from The Cleverley Stone Foundation support our general operating budget,\u201d she said, \u201cand these events are so successful that it\u2019s something that we\u2019ve come to depend on as a revenue stream for the Houston Food Bank.\u201d<\/p>\n

The food bank\u2019s operating budget goes toward several services, Voss said. In fiscal year 2024-25, its $436 million budget was able to provide 140 million meals across 18 counties, supply 14 million meals through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and feed 7 million children through different food bank programs.<\/p>\n

For comparison, the North Texas Food Bank,<\/a> which is often seen as the next-largest distributor in Texas behind the Houston Food Bank, distributed 116 million meals in FY 2024-25 with a roughly $200 million operating budget, accordingto the food bank\u2019s annual report.<\/p>\n

\"chartHow it works<\/p>\n

Eat Drink HTX will take place Feb. 15-28 across the Greater Houston area, with returning restaurants in the Inner Loop, including local favorites<\/p>\n

such as Dandelion Cafe, Escalante\u2019s Tex-Mex, Dak & Bop and Adair Kitchen, as well as newcomers such as Slip n\u2019 Sliders, El Tiempo and Peppaz HTX.<\/p>\n

Dinner will be priced at $25, with lunch and brunch both priced at $15. Similar to Houston Restaurant Weeks, Stone said participating restaurants will make donations based on their sales.<\/p>\n

A $0.50 donation will generate 1.5 meals for the Houston Food Bank and a $1 donation will generate three meals, Stone said.<\/p>\n

\"tableWhat they’re saying<\/p>\n

Jeff Buhrer, general manager of the Dandelion Cafe,<\/a> which has been participating in Eat Drink HTX for three years and has locations in Bellaire and the Heights, said that the charitable aspect plays a significant role in the restaurant\u2019s decision to participate every year.<\/p>\n

“Supporting initiatives that directly benefit the Houston community is incredibly important to us,” he said, “and supporting organizations like the Houston Food Bank allows us to make a tangible impact and shed light on their impact.”<\/p>\n

Both Eat Drink HTX and HRW were also designed to help out restaurants during historically slower periods of dining out, Stone said, such as in late February after Valentine\u2019s Day and in August after school starts.<\/p>\n

\u201cEat Drink HTX encourages both new and returning guests to explore more of our menu,\u201d Buhrer said. \u201cIt\u2019s brought in first-time visitors who may have Dandelion Cafe on their list, but hadn\u2019t made the trip yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Owner of Heights & Co<\/a>., Brian Doke, also said both events are a great way to engage with the city.<\/p>\n

“It definitely brings in new guests,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of Houstonians look through the list and pick places they\u2019ve never been, so it\u2019s a great way to try out places and for us to meet new guests.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking ahead<\/p>\n

Starting Feb. 15, residents can find a restaurant listed on the Eat Drink HTX website, choose brunch, lunch or dinner, and reserve a date between Feb. 15 and Feb. 28 to dine out. To see a full list of participating restaurants, visit the Houston Restaurant Weeks website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Stone said restaurant owners can also sign up to participate in the event until Feb. 15.<\/p>\n

Houston Restaurant Weeks will take place this year from Aug. 1 to Sept. 7. The 38-day foodie event will include an extensive list of participating restaurants and serve specially priced, multicourse prix-fixe menus for brunch ($25), lunch ($25) and dinner ($39 or $55).<\/p>\n

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