During a drive down to a recent press conference, LRA
President/CEO Stan Harris shared his own philosophies on determining what
charities to support. As a self-professed “reformed restaurateur” of
Ruth’s Chris Steak House he became quite familiar with the volume of requests a
business receives to contribute to charitable causes.
“People give to people,” Harris said. “If the charity was
one that had helped, supported or impacted the life of an employee, more than
likely we’d support the charity. The level at which we contributed varied
depending on the situation of course, but that was one criterion.”
 |
| Phil's Grill owner Phil de Gruy hosts the annual Burgerpalooza which benefits the Miracle League of Greater New Orleans, May 18 from 8-11 p.m. at Southport Hall, advanced tickets are $35 and $40 at the door. |
Choosing a cause with an emotional connection is important
to most restaurateurs. Given that your participation may be difficult to
calculate on a balance sheet, trust that over time the financial benefits will
be felt. When possible, include your customers. It fosters goodwill and lets
your customers know that helping others is important to you and your
business.
“The more you participate in charitable events, the more you
are asked,” said Phil de Gruy of Phil’s Grill in Metairie. “The requests are at
an all-time high for me.”
In five years of business, de Gruy’s marketing strategy has
included the creation of his own fundraising campaigns. May is National Burger
Month and in 2008 he started Burgerpalooza as both a celebration of that and as
a way of giving back to our community.
