Local restaurants are collaborating with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation to raise money for the iconic roadway that connects 469 miles of mountain landscapes and communities.
More than a dozen local restaurants will donate at least 10 percent of their sales on Tuesday, Sept. 18 to support the Parkway. Loretta’s Cafe in Asheville and City Lights Cafe in Sylva will donate 20 percent. Other restaurants participating include Café Azalea, Chai Pani, Chef Mo’s Restaurant and Bar, Copper River Grill, Corner Kitchen, Early Girl Eatery, Filo Pastries, Guadalupe Cafe, The Junction, The Local Joint, Piazza, Plant, Pomodoros Cafe, Salsa’s and Tomato Jam.
“The Parkway is the most visited unit in the National Park Service, and it gets more than Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite combined,” says Christy Bell, development director at the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. “But it's one of the only ones that doesn't charge an admission fee.”
After 77 years, the Parkway could use some love and some cash. “It's an aging resource,” Bell says. The Foundation donates some $650,000 to the Parkway for projects and programs, including helping restore trails and developing educational programs.
Restaurants farther afield will also contribute to the fundraising effort. For a full list of participating eateries all along the Parkway, visit http://brpfoundation.org/content/plates-parkway.
