September marks the 14th Annual Columbia Restaurant Community Harvest program and Historic City News has learned that 5% of all guests’ lunch and dinner checks will be donated to the charitable organization of their choice.
Kim Brumfield told Historic City News reporters that she is hoping for all the local supporters of the Betty Griffin House to turn out next month. “They will enjoy the authentic Spanish cuisine and can select Betty Griffin House to benefit from the Columbia’s charity. The emergency shelter where Brumfield serves as Community Awareness Coordinator, is operated for victims of domestic violence and is now in its 21st year of providing services.
The Community Harvest takes place at the Columbia Restaurant, located at the corner of St. George Street and Hypolita Street in downtown St. Augustine. They are open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.
“We started this program in 1998 as a way to help many of the worthy non-profit groups that are so important to our communities,” noted 4th generation family member and president, Richard Gonzmart. “We thought the best way to do this was by letting our customers get involved in selecting the organizations.”
Over the past thirteen years, the Columbia Restaurant Community Harvest has donated over $1,181,000 to non-profit organizations throughout Florida.
The original Columbia Restaurant was founded in 1905 in Ybor City and is Florida’s oldest restaurant. In addition to their flagship restaurant in Tampa’s historic Ybor City, other locations include St. Armands Circle in Sarasota, the historic district in St. Augustine, The Pier in St. Petersburg, Sand Key in Clearwater Beach, Central Florida’s town of Celebration, and the Columbia Café on the Riverwalk in Downtown Tampa.
Fourth and fifth generation members of the founding Gonzmart family own and operate all Columbia Restaurant locations.
Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News staff photographer
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