The Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce and Visit Vancouver USA partnered with ilani to produce a highly successful local weekly restaurant takeout collaboration on five-course dinners for two, each Thursday from December 2020 through March 2021. In total, this Savor The Couve series served 3,728 dinners, raising $182,672 for restaurants and nonprofits in Clark County.
Savor The Couve’s weekly takeout dinners’ operations coordinated five different restaurants each week to deliver between 90 and 160 dinners for two for pickup at the former Warehouse ‘23 event space. Each Savor The Couve Thursday, diners would drive through the check-in point, guided by the Chamber, Visit Vancouver staff and nonprofit volunteers, to have their fresh five-course dinner for two placed into to their cars. This hands-free operation for the diners was smooth with all dinners picked up in less than an hour most weeks. Each week, Savor The Couve’s featured restaurants, each providing one of the courses, allowed diners to sample dishes and flavors from restaurants they’ve never visited.
Here are what a few of the diners had to say:
- “We have ordered five or six times … every dish we have received was wonderfully prepared and just fabulous. We are your happiest customers. Can’t wait to visit EACH of your participating restaurants later this spring when we are vaccinated!”
- “Someone deserves recognition for this program, it benefits restaurants, nonprofits, diners and enlivens the spirit of Vancouver. Well done!”
- “Everything about it from the ordering, notifications, pick-up was easy, fast and pleasant. And of course, the food was delicious. The best part it is a ‘win-win’ for everyone involved from Vancouver Chamber, restaurants, support for the local non-profits and the residents!”
Savor The Couve raised a total of $46,600 for the 16 participating nonprofits, and a total of $136,072 for the 32 participating local restaurants. With the 3,728 dinners served, 690 of those dinners were served to repeat diners of the program. View a short video of the program, here: https://youtu.be/tQ8d9jp3zUc.
Savor The Couve was initially intended to run as an eight-week program beginning in December. It yielded such positive feedback from restauranteurs, nonprofits, volunteers, diners and community members, that the Chamber and Visit Vancouver USA decided to continue the program an additional eight weeks. As presenting sponsor, ilani supported the series financially while offering volunteers and donations, including insulated bags for the hot dishes, coupons for their $20 for $20 Promotional Play, playing cards and a complementary bottle of wine for all orders during the final week.
At this time, plans are in the works to reprise Savor The Couve in Fall 2021. More information is to come. Sign up for exclusive email updates about the program’s continuation, here: VancouverUSA.com/SavorTheCouve. Restaurants and nonprofits looking to engage in this program in the future are encouraged to sign up for further consideration at: www.VancouverUSA.com/STCSignUp.
The Greater Vancouver Chamber and Visit Vancouver USA would like to especially thank the program’s presenting sponsor, ilani, the contributing restaurants, nonprofits and volunteers, as well as Mark Matthias and Jason Fish (whose ideas grew into Savor The Couve). A complete list of participating restaurants and nonprofits involved in Savor The Couve can be found at VancouverUSA.com/SavorTheCouve.
