Here at City Barbeque, we like to say that we belong to our communities. A big part of that relationship is giving back, so we wanted to take a look at what we donated to local folks in 2017:

$7,042 donated to local charities in honor of our new restaurants
Every time we open a new joint, we ask the team at that location to help us choose a local charity, one with a cause they’re passionate about. We then donate 10% amount of our Grand Opening Celebration days sales to the joint’s chosen organization. With seven new store openings in 2017, we were able to donate $7,042 to seven amazing charities in Toledo, Ohio; Charlotte, Raleigh, and Huntersville, North Carolina; Decatur, Georgia; and Berwyn, Illinois. We’ve got eight new joints scheduled to open in 2018 and are so excited to partner with local folks doing great things for our communities!

$242,216 donated to community groups as part of our fundraiser program
Did you know that we love to help folks fundraise? Community groups, sports teams, you name it—we’re happy to help you raise funds with our “dine to donate”–style program. All you need to do to get in on this is fill out a fundraiser request form. Your request will go straight to the team at your local City Barbeque, where our folks will review it, let you know if the fundraiser is a go, and send you all you need to know about promoting your fundraising day. Then just gather your crew for some ‘que! For everyone you bring in to eat on your day, your charity or organization will get back 25% of those sales. Last year, we were able to give $242,216 back to local groups!

$35,715 in gift cards donated to community groups
Looking for another way to raise money for your group? We also provide food and gift card donations for silent auctions and the like. If you’re in need of some raffle items,  just submit a request and, as long as this is available in our budget, we’d be so happy to help! Last year, we gave over $35,000 in gift card donations alone.

$147,810 in food donated to the community
We’re proud that each and every one of our joints works with Food Rescue, an organization that connects restaurants to food pantries and organizations to food-insecure families. We freeze surplus food at the end of each day, and every week, volunteers transport that frozen food to local pantries. Just like everything we serve, the smoked meats and homemade sides we donate are held to the highest standards, making them something we’re proud to put on the plates of folks in need!

We also help folks feed volunteers, help the local football team fuel up before the big game, and more. If you have a big group that needs fed, just submit a request. If we’re able to donate, we’d love to. We’re so proud that we were able to donate $147,810—the equivalent of about 14,000 meals—in 2017!

When you add it all up, we donated $432,783 in food and funds in 2017. That’s a lot, but we’re always looking for more opportunities to help! We’ll be opening eight new restaurants in 2018, which means eight new communities to serve and support with food donations, fundraisers, and more.

Giving back is central to our culture, and we’re so excited to keep these donation programs growing!