The Golden Lawnchair is back!

Keeping it Classy Since 2012

I know it's been awhile since I posted. I have a good reason, I promise. Remember that post about The Golden Lawnchair dinner? Well, it's happening again. Only it's bigger. Much, much bigger. And you've got a chance to come to this one! 

What have we been up to? A lot. We've partnered with Josh Campbell from Mayberry in OTR to make his restaurant into The Golden Lawnchair for one night only, on November 18th. We've been planning this for about a month, and if you follow me on twitter, you've probably already heard about it. We're keeping the original menu (with some minor adjustments), and adding a ton of other great things, for a great cause. 

We decided to make this more than just a bigger version of a Welcome Back Dinner, but instead, make it a benefit/fundraiser for the Freestore Foodbank in Cincinnati. We asked the Foodbank what they needed most (canned goods, turkeys, that kind of thing) and they told us what they really needed was simple. Cash donations to support their mission to help neighbors in need this winter. 

So we figured out how to help them raise funds in as many way possible. First, we decided to sell tickets to the dinner online, and have everything over basic food and operating costs for the restaurant go to the Foodbank. In addition to the tickets, we also offered several perks people can contribute to. They range from a handwritten thank you note from yours truly (super fun to decipher, as my handwriting is notoriously artistic) to a cocktail lesson with Molly Wellmann, to a woodfired pizza lesson at A Tavola.  The link to the online campaign is here, full of all the delicious details. Please check it out and donate to help the Foodbank!

Dinner sold out in less than two days, but we wanted more people to be able to come join the fun. So we're offering the very last two tickets on ebay. The auction will run until the night before the dinner, and monies raised from it go directly to the Freestore. And that's not all! Following dinner, we are opening up Mayberry to everyone for an afterparty at 9 PM. 

The $15 cash cover for the afterparty also goes to the Foodbank, and we'll have snacks, drink specials, live music and raffles. What kind of raffles? Well, let's just say the collective value of all of the items we've secured is well over $1500.00. As you'd probably guess, all the money raised from the raffles goes to the Foodbank too.

See? As many ways as possible. And we wouldn't have been able to do it alone. I want to take a moment to thank the many local businesses that have donated to the raffle, the many friends and fellow bloggers that have helped me spread the word through Twitter, posts on their own blogs, and Facebook; as well everyone who has listened to me planning this incessantly, Jenny Kessler for designing the menu and kickass logo, and countless others who have supported this venture.

As far as I know, a pop-up restaurant as a fundraiser is a first for Cincinnati, and I'm confident it's going to be a great time. So come on down to the Golden Lawnchair and join us in keepin' it classy.