Give Thanks for Local Restaurants with Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday
More than 45,000 Texas Restaurants are Small Businesses Operators Rely on 4th Quarter to Sustain Operations Year-Round.
AUSTIN, TX (November 25, 2022) – To kick off the holiday season, the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA) encourages Texans to support local restaurants on two key days—Small Business Saturday on November 26 and Giving Tuesday on November 29. Both days are an opportunity to give back as we celebrate with family and friends.
The holiday season is always a critical time for restaurants and other hospitality businesses, with many relying on this quarter to sustain their operations year-round. This year, the holiday season is particularly important as local restaurants continue to rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and inflation.
“Texas restaurants are resilient and have endured over 32 months of unprecedented economic challenges with their communities’ support,” said Emily Williams Knight, Ed. D., President & CEO of the TRA. “Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday give us all a chance to celebrate this resiliency together, enjoying time with loved ones while we reinvest in our local communities.”
Small Business Saturday, November 26
Founded in 2010, Small Business Saturday celebrates small businesses and the contributions they make to our economy and to our communities. Local restaurants are the quintessential small business; across the US, nine in ten restaurants have fewer than 50 employees, and seven in ten are single-unit operations.
There are many ways Texans can support local restaurants during Small Business Saturday. For example, Texans can:
- Purchase gift cards and merchandise from their local restaurants—creating great gifts for family, friends, teachers, and coworkers;
- Dine at local restaurants while supporting small retail shops;
- Bring a meal home from a local restaurant; and,
- Contact a local restaurant about catering a holiday celebration at home or for the office.
With nearly every restaurant battling historic price increases for food, labor, and operating costs, every purchase makes a positive impact not only for small businesses, but also for the employees, suppliers, and surrounding businesses that they support.
Giving Tuesday, November 29
Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. To help rebuild restaurants and the talent pipeline that is essential for their future, the TRA set a goal to raise $250,000 for the Texas Restaurant Foundation (TRF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to building and maintaining a strong foodservice workforce.
Texans are encouraged to use and share this fundraiser link to not only donate but also to challenge their friends and family to donate as well. By contributing to the TRF’s Giving Tuesday campaign, Texans will help:
- High school students get the resources they need to jumpstart their hospitality careers;
- Educators receive training to accelerate in their field; and,
- Local restaurants access the funding they need in times of crisis.
Restaurant operators and educators are already contributing, and all donations are tax-deductible. If each of us who loves dining out at restaurants contributes the price of a single meal to the
TRF’s Giving Tuesday campaign, we can ensure the Texas foodservice industry remains a force for good for years to come.
MEDIA CONTACT
Tony Abruscato (Chief Marketing Officer) & Kelsey Erickson Streufert (Chief Public Affairs Officer)
[email protected]
ABOUT THE TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION
Formed in 1937, the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA) serves as the advocate and indispensable resource for the foodservice industry in Texas. As a leading business association, the TRA represents the state’s $70 billion restaurant industry, which comprises approximately 50,000 locations and a workforce of 1.3 million employees. Along with the Texas Restaurant Foundation, the workforce development arm of the TRA, the association proudly continues to protect, advance, and educate a growing industry as the TRA enters its 85th anniversary year. For more information, please visit www.txrestaurant.org.