Chapel Hill restaurants honored for contributions to Inter-Faith Council for Social Service

Local officials honored restaurants that have helped feed the needy for a decade or more at an afternoon ceremony.

Restaurants Sharing Ten Percent (RSVVP) committee members and Inter-Faith Council for Social Service officials kicked off this year’s campaign Monday as they recognized long-time participants at the Community House Shelter at 100 W. Rosemary St.

Council Associate Director John Dorward said that while the organization is able to provide for members using donated food, there is a constant demand for more.

“From time to time, we do have to buy food,” he said. “We need cash to do that, and this program does that for us.”

Each year the RSVVP Day program typically recruits about 100 local restaurants to donate 10 percent of the day’s profits to the council.

At Monday’s ceremony, the organization recognized local restaurants for their extended commitment to the program. Restaurateurs were on hand to receive awards for 10, 15 and 20 years of service.

Among the 20-year honorees were Dieter and John Gualtieri, of La Residence Restaurant and Bar. The brothers said they participate in the RSVVP program year after year because they feel an obligation to help their neighbors.

“It’s about taking care of your own,” Dieter says. “This isn’t New York City. You don’t just step over the homeless every day.”

Other honorees at the ceremony included Oriental Garden, Thai Palace and Jade Palace restaurants with 20 years of participation, Owens 501 Diner and Bandido’s Mexican Cafe with 15 years and Vespa Ristorante and Panzanella restaurants with 10 years.

Dorward said this year’s 22nd RSVVP Day is projected to bring in $25,000. The event is held annually on the second Tuesday in November — this year Nov. 9.

RSVVP committee member and founder Irene Briggaman said having the event on a Tuesday makes it more practical to recruit local restaurants.

“We do it on a Tuesday so they can see some extra patronage on what is typically one of their slower days, rather than skimming off the top on one of their biggest days,” she said.

In previous years, the event raised about $20,000, but Dorward said last year’s fundraising efforts showed a slight dip.

“It rained all day, and that hurts you,” he said.

Briggaman said while participation from local restaurants has been stable in recent years, she doesn’t expect the participation numbers to grow any time soon.

“We’re probably at a plateau at this point with the restaurants that will choose to sign up,” she said.

The challenge for RSVVP’s growth in the future will be getting local restaurants that belong to national chains to sign up. Briggaman said she has tried calling corporate offices in California and Ohio, but progress has been slow.

“What I tell students and faculty here in town is to check the list of restaurants when we put it out,” Briggaman said.

“If you don’t see your favorite restaurant on the list, go there and ask them why they aren’t on it.

“That’s one of the most effective ways of recruiting.”

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.