KC Restaurant Week donations will fuel reStart’s meal programs
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Following the 17th edition of Kansas City Restaurant Week, the region’s premier dining event, organizers proudly presented the 2026 featured charity, reStart Inc., with a donation of over $125,000 on Tuesday, July 28.
“Thank you to the record-breaking number of participating restaurants and thousands of diners who supported Kansas City Restaurant Week and made this amazing donation possible,” said Kathy Nelson, president and CEO of Visit KC. “Each year, when the community comes together for 10 days of dining out and giving back to important local organizations like reStart, it truly shows that everything Kansas City does is from the heart.”
Representatives from Visit KC and the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association, the founding partners of KC Restaurant Week, joined together Tuesday to present reStart Inc. with a donation of $125,134.
“We are incredibly grateful to have been selected as the charity partner for KC Restaurant Week,” reStart Inc. CEO Stephanie Boyer said. “Food has a unique way of bringing people together, and every meal shared during this special week helped create opportunities for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.”
Kansas City-based reStart Inc. serves individuals and families experiencing homelessness, providing pathways to stable housing. As the only agency in the KC region serving all populations — youth, veterans, families and single adults — reStart meets people where they are. Alongside shelter, meals and supportive services, the agency provides the tools and dignity needed for lasting stability.
reStart plans to use its KC Restaurant Week donation to support its meal programs, nutrition education and homeless meal outreach.
Visit KC partnered with the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association to create Kansas City Restaurant Week in 2010. In addition to supporting the local dining industry, participating restaurants pledge 10% of menu sales to three charities: the Greater KC Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Visit KC Foundation and a featured community beneficiary.
Throughout its 17-year history, Kansas City Restaurant Week diners have now raised over $4.5 million for local causes, including past featured organizations like Kanbe’s Markets, Harvesters and the Don Bosco Centers.
“When our restaurants succeed, our community succeeds, and Kansas City Restaurant Week is proud to unite local hospitality businesses and charitable organizations in support of a stronger Kansas City,” said Mike Burris, executive director of the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association.
About Kansas City Restaurant Week
Kansas City Restaurant Week (KCRW) is KC’s premier dining event founded by the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association and Visit KC to support the regional restaurant community. 2026 marks the 17th consecutive year for the 10-day dining event, spotlighting KC as one of the country’s premier dining and vacationing destinations. Each year, KCRW partners with local charities to raise funds for deserving causes. In 2025, restaurants boosted the event’s 16-year charitable total to over $4.2 million. For more information, visit KCRestaurantWeek.com.
About Visit KC
Attracting millions of visitors to the Kansas City area annually, Visit KC is the internationally accredited chief hospitality sales and marketing organization for the region. With a mission of creating global passion for Kansas City, Visit KC collaborates with nearly 900 community partners to drive the marketing, sales and service of the destination’s convention and tourism industry—a sector that supports more than 128,000 local jobs and generates millions of dollars in community spending and sales tax revenue. For more information about Kansas City, please visit the official Visit KC website. Travelers planning their next trip to Kansas City can also find inspiration and local insights in the 2026 Visit KC Visitors Guide.
About Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association
The Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association, as a chapter of the Missouri Restaurant Association, works with its membership to represent, educate and promote the restaurant and hospitality industries in Northwest Missouri and in the counties of Johnson, Wyandotte and Leavenworth in Kansas.
About reStart Inc.
For nearly 45 years, reStart has been a lifeline for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Kansas City. Serving everyone across the full housing continuum—from street outreach and emergency shelter to transitional housing and permanent supportive housing—reStart provides not only safe shelter but also wraparound services, including meals, counseling, and employment support. Each year, reStart serves more than 1,300 neighbors, offering nearly 90,000 meals and walking alongside people on their journey from crisis to stable housing. With compassion, dignity, and community partnership, reStart is working to create a Kansas City where everyone has a safe place to call home. www.restartinc.org
