Operating a Temporary Restaurant to Raise Funds and Awareness

Importance of Social Engagement

If you want to raise funds for an issue or organization you are passionate about, this is a great tactic idea for you. This effort by these students could have gone towards meeting with corporate executives. They most likely would have raised considerably more money with much less effort. Yet, this would not have been as socially engaging. And the problems they addressed would have remained unspoken. Instead, the students wanted to engage everyday citizens. They wanted people who would speak of the experience to friends and family and spread the word. To get hundreds of people to donate, the students thought it would be smart to offer a meal in return. Thereby shifting the fundraising burden from the patrons to the organizers.

Planning and Securing Resources

The first essential step was to put together their public relations ‘identity’. They made some key decisions:

chose which development projects they would be supporting

selected the dates when the restaurant would be open (being specific but flexible),

what the mood of the restaurant would be (music, speakers, engaging volunteers, etc), and

a house style was created for a website, posters, flyers, and other promotional materials.

When this was in place, businesses were approached for two requests – a location and the donation of food products. The team was able to find a charitable café that was willing to lend its space for free. But this was unexpected. Rental costs were initially budgeted for in the planning process. Additionally, nearly half of the food products used were donated by local organic and fair-trade grocers and wholesale food providers.

Finally, promotional efforts included:

press releases sent to local newspapers and entertainment guides through the internet and email chains

posters hung in the local university and in community centers and grocery stores.

distributed of flyers by students in the surrounding neighborhood.

Promotional Strategies and Success

The goal was to have every night booked before each evening began. They used an online reservation form on their website to best predict the amount of food needed per day. In the weeks preceding the event, musicians, dancers, and speakers were contacted. They offered a free meal in exchange for performances. There were at least two activities every night. As a result, nearly every night was booked, with a few spaces left over for “walk-in” guests.

After two weeks, the restaurant had earned EUR 4,000 (USD 5,700). This amount doubled due to arranged sponsorship agreements. The NGO’s who were operating the development projects receiving the funds agreed to double the proceeds. This resulted in EUR 8,000 (approximately USD 11,400) in total. Many of the donors, musicians and speakers asked for the outcome of the project and promised to return the next year.

Lessons Learned and Future Planning

There are some important considerations. The many legal considerations for both operating a restaurant without licensed chefs. Operating charitable fundraising projects are unique to every country and need to be addressed from the outset. In this case, operating under the Dutch ‘Stichting’ (NPO) Happy Gift solved many of the legal considerations encountered.

For those wishing to undertake such an effort, this was a time consuming project. Most of the profits come from time invested by the volunteers before the restaurant began. This included Public Relations, sponsorships, donations from food suppliers, among others. It is important to begin with a core group of individuals. These people must be willing to spend time coordinating efforts for the months preceding the project.

Lastly, it is important to plan for the future. In this effort, the students made sure there were individuals interested in following up the project the next year. This provided continuity and to kept donors engaged for another opportunity. The pop-up restaurant was such a success that has run for two weeks every summer since 2009.

What we can learn from this Tactic:

This tactic demonstrates how creativity and organization can yield impressive results. Its goal was to engage new people and raise funds for specific nonprofits. Though time-consuming, creating a mock restaurant for two weeks required careful planning and volunteer effort. The success of this tactic shows that the effort invested directly impacts the outcome. Building strong relationships with donors and following up is essential for long-term fundraising success. Additionally, fundraisers must be combined with other tactics like online outreach, partnerships, and marketing. A single fundraiser isn’t enough to support a mission—multiple, coordinated efforts are needed to sustain an organization’s goals and drive change.