Michigan Restaurant Association Awards Community-Oriented Restaurants

LANSING, Mich. — Two Michigan restaurants have been chosen as examples of why it pays to have a restaurant in your neighborhood. Saugatuck’s The Butler and Ann Arbor’s Mainstreet Ventures recently won the Michigan Restaurant Neighbor Award from the Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA). Both restaurants will receive an award plaque plus $500 from the MRA to donate to their favorite charity. The restaurants are also eligible to enter the National Restaurant Association’s contest for a $5,000 charitable prize.

“These two restaurants are shining examples of how restaurants are good neighbors that help their local communities,” said MRA Executive Director Rob Gifford. “We’re very proud to have such fine, community-minded restaurateurs here in Michigan, and the Neighbor Award is a perfect way to recognize them.”

Each year, The Butler hosts “The Butler Open,” a golf tournament to raise money for the Saugatuck High School Athletic Department, community recreation programs and a student scholarship. The golf tournament is open to the public and concludes with dinner at the restaurant. This year, more than $9,000 was raised and donated to Saugatuck High School for the purchase of weight room equipment, scoreboards, uniforms, and to help subsidize the salary of a football team trainer. In addition, a graduating senior from the high school is awarded The Butler Scholarship, a $500 honor that is renewable annually for four years.

“I feel that this gives to the community,” said Vicki White Phelps, general manager of The Butler. “It’s not just the restaurant, it’s everyone from the community that is involved in this. The dollar amount that we give is not that big, but I think community involvement is more important.”

Mainstreet Ventures, which owns four Ann Arbor restaurants — Palio, Real Seafood Company, Gratzi and The Chop House — has donated more than $150,000 to charity. Every year, each of its four restaurants chooses a specific charity to support. Mainstreet Ventures has donated to Easter Seals, Hearts for the Arts, Detroit Public Television, Knights of Columbus, Emerson School and Mott’s Children’s Hospital.

“It’s great to be recognized as good corporate citizens, but that’s not why we do charitable work,” said Mike Gibbons, president of Mainstreet Ventures. “We’re proud of the work we do in each of the communities Mainstreet Ventures owns restaurants.”

This year, Palio hosted its sixth annual Dining for Dollars event with the HIV and AIDS Resource Center (HARC). The fundraiser raised more than $40,000 and was the most successful one HVAC has ever had.

Mainstreet Ventures also sponsors a tuition reimbursement program, and participates in the Children’s Holiday parade, the Ann Arbor Public School’s Youth Art Month, Dine Out to Help Out (which raises money for the fight against AIDS), and hosts an annual fundraising event for low-income seniors..

Honorable mentions were given in the multi-unit category to Big Boy Restaurants International of Warren, and Max & Erma’s Restaurants. In thesingle-unit division, Conor O’Neill’s Traditional Irish Pub of Ann Arbor andPoppa’s Place Restaurant in Brooklyn received honorable mentions.

“Restaurants are good for the local economy, and just as important is their priceless contribution to local communities,” Gifford said.

The MRA represents more than 3,500 locations statewide. With more than 291,000 employees, more people work in the restaurant industry than any other industry in Michigan. Since 1921, the MRA has served to enhance and nurture the growth and development of Michigan’s hospitality industry. # # #