Livingston Restaurant Week Celebrates Culinary Arts and Philanthropy
In Livingston no shortage of good eats or goodwill exists. Home to roughly 9,000 people, the city’s robust culinary landscape features an impressive lineup of restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries and other food and beverage establishments—the likes of which have joined forces to support the Livingston Food Resource Center (LFRC), one of many nonprofit organizations based in Park County. The LFRC, tasked with combatting food insecurity, has undergone a dramatic increase in service demands as the cost of living continues rising, exacerbated in part by funding cuts to social welfare programs like SNAP, Medicaid and TEFAP—further driving the affordability crisis plaguing everyday Americans.
In response, Lisa Machac, owner of Small Plate Hospitality (a consulting business helping restaurants improve guest experience and service to generate revenue beyond cutting food costs) began organizing an event in collaboration with Kris King and the Livingston Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID). Machac, a restaurant industry veteran boasting more than 20 years of experience in the local scene, was inspired by large-scale food-based events in cities like Austin, Texas with renowned culinary traditions and a penchant for philanthropy.
These events, she says, typically involve pricey multi-course offerings and pre-fixed menus. Kansas City, Missouri, for example, hosts an annual Restaurant Week, this year from January 9th through the 18th. story., a self-described “creative, American restaurant” erected by James Beard-nominated Chef Carl Thorne-Thomsen, offers a three-course meal priced at $65—just one of several hundred participating establishments dishing out uniquely curated menus championing culinary lore in a greater metropolitan area with a burgeoning restaurant scene.
Machac has extensive experience in event production and consulted a number of industry gurus before applying for grant funding allotted to boost tourism and stimulate local economies through various events yet had little experience in event marketing—an initiative King and her group took to task.
And thus, in a show of cooperation, Livingston Restaurant Week was born—adapted to accommodate the community’s concise yet price disparate restaurant scene—"from $10 tacos to $80 steaks” she says, “each establishment chooses a feature——a special offering, or typical menu item—and how much of the proceeds are donated.”
The seven-day event kicks off at Second Street Bistro on Saturday, January 17th from 5 to 9 pm, a preview event featuring three staple dishes—French Onion Soup (elk stock, caramelized onion, crostini, Gruyère), Steak au Poivre (Marbled Ranch Wagyu bavette, asparagus, peppercorn, brandy cream sauce, duck fat frites), and Moules Provençal (mussels, shallot, garlic, white wine, butter, tomato concassé, grilled baguette)—and their signature Old Fashioned cocktail. Second Street, slated for a short-term hiatus during restaurant week, has committed to matching donations of up to $2 for each featured item—up to $16 total across four items.
Each of the 20 participating restaurants—comprising the full spectrum of meals, from Pinky’s Café for breakfast, to Campione for dinner—are at liberty to pledge any amount of their choosing. Patrons may dine without donating or make an open donation using displayed QR codes stationed at tables. The goal, says Machac, is to raise $10,000 in just six days, beginning with a kickoff party at the Murray Bar and Gil’s Goods on Monday, January 19th from 5 to 7 pm for a culinary meet-and-greet with local chefs.
The event will conclude on January 25th by celebrating restaurant industry staff members with a dance party from 7 to 9 pm at The Attic. The event is free to the public with live music from DJ Prince Carls and free appetizers catered by participating restaurants. Donations will be accepted at the door to support LFRC.
Machac’s vision is for Livingston Restaurant Week to become an annual destination event showcasing local establishments while not only fund raising for one of Park County’s several non-profit organizations, but stimulating local economic growth during the offseason—eventually, she says, with support from lodging establishments to attract visitors from throughout the state and region to converge on Livingston for a joint celebration of culinary arts and philanthropy, ideally rotating between nonprofits in coming years to offer community-wide support. “This year is really about proof of concept,” she explained.
The event has received coverage in Bozeman Magazine and Edible Bozeman and financial support from several sponsors to supplement grant funding—crucial to ensuring the tradition continues.
“We had sponsors donate in-kind services or directly to the foodbank. We will really need that kind of help in future years,” Machac explained.
For more information about the event and offerings from each establishment, visit https://smallplatehospitality.com/livingstonrestaurantweek. Reservations at participating restaurants are encouraged. Establishments interested in participating may also register up until January 19th by contacting Machac with Small Plate Hospitality at lisa.machac@gmail.com.