With dining in at restaurants not happening in the near future and COVID-19 cases rising, your favourite local restaurants need your support now more than ever. There are many initiatives going on right now in Toronto that aim to help restaurants stay afloat as best they can. One that I think you need to hear about (which is student budget friendly) is Rally for Restaurants.
This campaign is backed by Stella Artois and their parent company: Labatt Breweries of Canada. Rally for Restaurants aims to encourage people to purchase either $25 or $50 gift cards to their favourite local restaurants and in return, Stella Artois will be topping up the gift cards by $10, as they’ve committed a total of $250,000 towards this initiative. In other words, you can get an extra $10 to spend at this restaurant next time you go AND the restaurant also benefits from the additional donation from the brand.
The fine print? Stella is only topping up gift cards on each individual restaurant to a maximum of $1,000, so once that establishment hits $1000 in donations from Stella Artois, you and the restaurant won’t be getting that extra $10, but hey, you’re still supporting your favorite restaurants either way.
If you’re not getting takeout or dining at your local restaurants right now, but still want to participate, you don’t have to worry! These gift cards are valid for takeout and dining in at restaurants until December 31, 2021 – you’ve got time! Keep in mind though, these cards aren’t redeemable on delivery orders. Also, if you wanted to purchase restaurant gift cards for friends and family that don’t live in the same city or province, you can do that too. Rally for Restaurants is an initiative taking place in all 10 provinces! Remember though, you have to be legal drinking age in order to take part in this great campaign.
From bars to fancy restaurants, this campaign is partnering with so many Canadian businesses! Three that I think you should definitely check out are:
Tala
Tala serves up really good Filipino food. They even deliver whole kamayan feasts for you to enjoy in the comfort of your own home! Order for yourself or your family because they also have mini versions of kamayan available, perfect for one. If you’re lucky, they’ll even have the famous Isabella’s Boutique Restaurant mochi donuts in store and you can add those onto your order for a really sweet treat.
Lazy Daisy Café
Lazy Daisy Café has buttermilk pancakes that look amazing, but guess what makes them even better…they look like cinnamon buns! Only a fan of classic breakfast foods? No worries, they have regular buttermilk pancakes as well and a big selection of breakfast sandwiches served on buttermilk biscuits that look incredible.
Gusto 101
Gusto 101 is an Italian restaurant known for their mafalde ai funghi, a mushroom pasta coated in a dreamy truffle cream sauce. It tastes so good and makes the $24 price tag on the dish worth it. If you’re going to support this restaurant, this pasta is a MUST ORDER.
If you want to check out this campaign and all it has to offer, you can visit the Rally for Restaurants website here. Next time you crack open a cold one, make it a Stella.
