Support local non-profits just by dining at any of the locations of the 1905 Family Of Restaurants. That includes all seven locations of the Columbia Restaurant but also expands this year to include Cha Cha Coconuts, Ulele, Goody Goody and Casa Santo Stefano.
Through its month-long Community Harvest program, now in its 25th year, the
company donates 5 percent of all diners’ checks to charities selected by the guests.
Over the last 24 years, this program provided more than $3 million to non-profit
organizations throughout Florida.
Community Harvest involves each of the Columbia locations, including Ybor City
in the historic district of Tampa, St. Armands Circle in Sarasota, 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.
For reservations, go to the websites of the participating restaurants.
“We started this program as a way to help many of the worthy non-profit groups
that are so important to our communities,” said 4th generation family member and
president Richard Gonzmart. “I can’t believe how much it has grown in 25 years.
We’re excited this year to extend the ballots and gift certificates to all our restaurant concepts, which should provide a real increase in our donations to the charities.”
Gonzmart said the process is simple: Choose a charity from a ballot that’s
provided with the check. The restaurant calculates the 5 percent 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. All the restaurants are owned and operated by 4th and 5th generation members of the founding family, except for the Columbia Restaurant Cafe at Tampa International Airport, which is operated in partnership with HMSHost.
