These 5 Restaurants Raised the Most During "Great Plates"

The 2020 'Great Plates' event raised over $105,000 for the Food Bank for Larimer County. Here are the top five contributing restaurants.

It was perfect timing, in a way, for the Fort Collins Downtown Business Association's 2020's 'Great Plates of Downtown' event, presented by the Eye Center of Northern Colorado.

Held from March 1 through March 14, the event concluded right as much of the country was shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For those two weeks, diners were encouraged to visit one of (or several of) the 45 establishments that were providing meals/specials at $25 or $2.50. Patrons were then encouraged to make a donation to the Food Bank for Larimer County in light of their dining savings.

According to a press release, the 2020 event brought in $105,149 for the food bank. That kind of money, especially now, will go a long way to helping the citizens who need it during this crisis.

Since its inception, 'Great Plates' has raised $752,786, which has allowed the food bank to provide $3.4 million worth of food for those in the Northern Colorado area.

I was curious as to who were the top five restaurants that had the most in contributions during the 2020 event. I received the following information from James Yearling, Interim Executive Director of the Downtown Business Association.

#5 - Sonny Lubick Steakhouse

#4 - Coopersmith's Pub & Brewing

#3 - Social

#2 - Rodizio Grill

#1 - The Melting Pot

James stated that Walrus Ice Cream was the dessert establishment that brought in the most:

They actually ranked #20 overall out of 45 participating locations, so pretty solid!

Dan Karpel, CEO of Eye Center of Northern Colorado, commented on his organization's involvement with the fundraiser:

Eye Center of Northern Colorado has been a long-standing supporter of the Downtown Business Association and their efforts to support Fort Collins' businesses. Now more than ever, restaurants and small businesses need community support, and we are thrilled to keep the Great Plates tradition alive while raising this money for the Food Bank

Way to go, Fort Collins.