Eat Well AND Do Good.
Support Meals On Wheels of Tampa by dining at any 1905 Family of Restaurants in September. That includes all seven locations of the Columbia Restaurant plus Cha Cha Coconuts, Ulele, Goody Goody, and Casa Santo Stefano.
Now in the 27th year, the company’s month-long Community Harvest donates 5 percent of all diners’ checks to charities selected by the guests. Over the last 26 years, this program provided $4 million to Florida non-profit organizations.
The seven Columbia locations include Ybor City in the historic district of Tampa, St. Armands Circle in Sarasota, historic district of St. Augustine, Sand Key on Clearwater Beach, Central Florida’s town of Celebration, the Columbia Cafe on the Riverwalk in downtown Tampa at the Tampa Bay History Center and the Columbia Restaurant Cafe at Tampa International Airport. Cha Cha Coconuts also is on St. Armands Circle in Sarasota. Ulele, Goody Goody, and Casa Santo Stefano are all in Tampa.
For reservations, go to the websites of the participating restaurants.
“As we look ahead to the Columbia’s 120th anniversary in 2025, I’m reminded that great restaurants are more than just places to eat; they’re part of the fabric of the community,” said 4th generation caretaker and president Richard Gonzmart. “I started this program to help many of the worthy non-profits so important to the people who live near our restaurants across Florida. The simple concept is to ‘Eat Well AND Do Good.’ It’s a delicious way to help these organizations.”’
Restaurant guests choose a charity from ballots provided with checks. The restaurant calculates the 5 percent donation and provides the charity with gift certificates that can be used at any of the restaurants for up to 12 months. There’s no additional cost to the guest.
The original Columbia Restaurant was founded in Tampa’s Historic Ybor City in 1905 by Cuban immigrant Casimiro Hernandez, Sr., and is Florida’s oldest restaurant.
