HRW extended
Houston Restaurant Weeks extended through the end of September
Restaurants team up to raise money during HRW.
Procrastinators who have been putting off their Houston Restaurant Weeks meals just got.a reprieve. Originally scheduled to end on Monday, September 2, the event has been extended all the way until September 30.
Typically, HRW (as it’s commonly known) ends on Labor Day, but it has been extended twice due to extraordinary circumstances — in 2017 after Hurricane Harvey and in 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. In light of the challenges restaurants have faced after the derecho and Hurricane Beryl, HRW organizer The Cleverley Stone Foundation decided 2024 also merited an extension.
“We decided to continue HRW this year due to the many requests we had from participating restaurants,” foundation president Katie Stone Cappuccio said in a statement. “After discussions with owners, operators, and the Houston Food Bank the decision was made to keep HRW going until the end of September with a reduced donation amount.”
As Stone Cappuccio notes, HRW has decreased the contribution that participating restaurants make to the foundation for the extended period. From August 1 until Labor Day, restaurants donate $3, $5, or $7 for every $25, $39, or $55 prix fixe menu sold, which the foundation then uses to make a donation to the Houston Food Bank. From September 3-30, that amount is reduced to $1 for all meals, which allows struggling restaurants to keep more revenue and recover from losses due to power outages and other disruptions.
A representative tells CultureMap that restaurants may extend or discontinue their HRW participation after Labor Day. The HRW website will be updated by September 3 with a current list of participants. Most restaurants are expected to extend.
“HRW has proven to be an annual traffic generator for the industry, and this seemed like a positive decision for those that have supported us for 21 years,” Stone Cappuccio added. “Diners can show how much they stand behind the hospitality industry. It's heartwarming seeing how our city comes together to Dine Out & Do Good every August and in extraordinary circumstances beyond!”
Founded by Cleverley Stone in 2003 and continued by her daughter Katie Stone Cappuccio through the foundation, Houston Restaurant Weeks partners with local restaurants to raise money for the Houston Food Bank. In 2023, the event donated more than $1.8 million to the Houston Food Bank. Overall, Houston Restaurant Weeks has raised over $20.7 million. Since the nonprofit turns every dollar into three meals, the event has generated more than 62 million meals.
