Poblanos With a Side of Philanthropy

Dining out for a cause. Sure, It’s nothing new, and many charitable restaurants in the city give back from time to time, but others do it so consistently and whole-heartedly that we just have to recognize them for their good deeds.

Agave in Cabbagetown gives tens of thousands of dollars each year to worthy organizations. Last year, more than 200 charities benefited from the restaurants’ gifts, whether it was a gift card for an auction item at an event or a “dine-out” night where proceeds from patrons’ tickets go to the organization.

On Wednesday, Agave hosted a dine-out event for , the beloved Little Five Points landmark known for bringing exciting, contemporary plays to the city and cultivating new artists and audiences.

“We’re more than happy to help Horizon Theatre close its budget gap,” said Tim Pinkham, managing partner of Agave. “They’ve been around for 27 years and bring premier shows from all over the country to our community.  It’s just an Atlanta treasure.”

The 11-year-old eatery has had a longstanding relationship with Horozon Theatre. You can always bring in your ticket or proof of purchase on the night of a show (before or after) and receive 20 percent off your dining bill.

But it worked a little differently for the dine-out evening. Instead of knocking 20 percent off your bill, ptrons paid full price, but a percentage (about 15 percent) is being given to the organization.

Agave usually does one or two dine-outs a month for different charitable organizations, which have included , the Grant Park Conservancy, Grant Park Cooperative Preschool, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, multiple animal rescue nonprofits, and more.

“It’s simple; all you have to do is come in for dinner. We take a portion of the entire night’s sales and just write the charity a check the next day,” Pinkham said.

“Some restaurants will pick one particular charity, but we want to spread it out to help as many people in the community as possible. It can be any beneficiary from a children’s hospital to a school to a church. Just not anything political!”

Why so generous?

The reason is as simple as going out to eat.

“We’ve always had a great relationship with the community,” Pinkham said. 

“We just want to give back.”

For more information, visit agaverestaurant.com or call the restaurant at 404-588-0006.