Soul Supper Building community and friendships through Bistro for your Cause

Our goal has always been to create a place that not only features real good food and a neighborhood vibe, but that also builds community. What better way to accomplish this than by giving hard-working local charities a boost.

Bistro for your Cause is a program we established many years ago that gives local nonprofits of any size a chance to invite friends, family and supporters to dine with us on a given night, during which a portion of proceeds are donated to the cause. It’s great for the organization, and it gives folks with a common passion a chance to connect and enjoy an easy weeknight meal. And for us, the coolest thing about Bistro for your Cause is that we personally get to know so many inspiring people trying to make life better. From pets to kids, from homelessness to health, we’ve been proud to host so many meaningful causes, and we welcome more all the time.

Daisy blossoms

Cure for Daisy is a cause that tugs at our heartstrings. Charming, chatty and totally engaging, seven-year-old Daisy Prescott suffers from a rare, incurable and life-threatening disease called Juvenile Myositis (JM). In summer 2016, Daisy’s family organized a Bistro for your Cause night at both Baton Rouge locations of the restaurant. The Prescotts dined at Willow Grove, where WBRZ Weekends with Whitney anchor Whitney Vann interviewed Daisy, a budding actress and fashionista known for her sunny personality.

“It was wonderful,” says mom Kristen Harvey Prescott. “It was very uplifting for Daisy. A lot of her friends came, and it was so good for our psyches. It’s such an easy for way for people to help because everybody’s got to eat dinner.”

Since Daisy was diagnosed at age three, parents Kristen and Luke Prescott and many of their friends and family members have worked diligently to raise awareness and money for JM, a little-known and under-funded condition that impacts just 2-3 in one million children. But fundraising is demanding work, particularly as the Prescotts juggle Daisy’s care and raise her two-year-old sister, Selene. Bistro for your Cause, says Kristen, is easy and effortless. Show up with your friends, enjoy your dinner and feel energized.

We loved getting to know Daisy and her family. When we found out that she would be spending her birthday at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital this year, we didn’t hesitate to drop by and bring our new friend a few goodies. That’s what community means to us.

This dinner’s gone to the dogs

“Bistro nights have been very successful,” says Beverly Theriot, director of the Baton Rouge-based dog rescue nonprofit, Yelp. “It’s an important community building component of what we do and it helps us spread the word about our services and volunteer opportunities.”

Throughout 2016, the 100% no-kill rescue service for canines held three Bistro for your Cause nights, two at the Willow Grove location, and one in Mid City. The organization even brought a few pets for adoption outside the restaurant. And some Yelp pet-parents even brought their dogs for patio dining. Theriot says Yelp is constantly looking for ways to fortify a shoestring budget and increase its network of volunteers.

“It’s been a way for us make people aware of what our mission is,” says Theriot. “Each time we do it, everybody gets really excited about it.”

We believe that building such awareness is just as important as the money the organizations that participate in Bistro for your Cause raise. We plan to grow the program and continue supporting our communities, which have been real good to us!