What's a Community Supported Restaurant?

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has grown in popularity in the past few years and with good reason, it's likely the best deal going for fresh local eats. And now according to Mother Nature Network, the next big thing in the realm of local eating are Community Supported Restaurants. What the heck does that mean? Well, similar to the way the farms get their funding, restaurants receive funding from the community. One of the first restaurants to try the model was Claire's in Hardwick, Vt. The Preservation Trust of Vermont initially contributed $15,000 to the restaurant and then $50,000 was raised by selling $1,000 restaurant coupons to members of the community.

Restaurants like the Bee Knees in Morrisville, Vt. and Zen Kitchen in Ottawa, Canada are also following the community supported model. The restaurants are all examples of farm to table eating, boasting the best in the local bounty. If more restaurants across the country were to follow these ideals opportunities for green restaurant eating would expand dramatically. It would give more restaurants the opportunity to showcase the local foods from the community. The CSR as I like to call it, would strengthen the community around food.

If a restaurant that you love in your area is struggling and the community wants to keep it open, consider following the example of Sharon Deitz who raised $70,000 for her restaurant, Bee Knees by selling coupons for food and drink to a community that wasn't ready for her to close. If you're a talented chef without money to finance a restaurant, why not consider the CSR model?

Via: MNN