UPFRONT
CELEBR ATIONS // BY LYNNE THOMPSON
A Grand a Day Hospitality Restaurants donates to individual nonprofits in January.
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10 COMMUNITY LEADER | FEBRUARY 2022
to Golf program), which provides programming for the physically disabled on the campus of the Wharton Center at North Olmsted Golf Club. “It’s pretty joyful to see how it’s changed some of these guys’ lives,” he observes. Some entities are run or supported by people Schindler and Ameen know. The Ben Curtis Family Foundation, a Kent-based nonprofit started by Schindler’s professional golfer friend Ben Curtis and Curtis’ wife, Candace, fills backpacks with nonperishable food and toiletries that are discreetly distributed by teachers in participating schools to students living in food-insecure homes. Santa PICsU was founded by friends to provide gifts for Akron Children’s Hospital pediatric ICU patients and their families, as well as waiting-room furnishings, medical equipment, etc. And the Bay Village-based Jack Gives Back Foundation was established by a family who lost a special-needs child. The nonprofit supplies adaptive equipment and therapy scholarships to the Key Largo, Florida, nonprofit Island Dolphin Care for children facing similar challenges. Hospitality Restaurants isn’t planning to host a big public 30th anniversary celebration. But the company did end up offering a different three-course happy-hour meal at each of its locations for $30 through Jan. 31.
COURTESY HOSPITALITY RESTAURANTS
eorge Schindler and Kay Ameen had been discussing the best way to mark the 30th anniversary of Hospitality Restaurants. Their 1991 opening of the Cabin Club in Westlake turned out to be the founding of an operation that today employs more than 300 people at its Fairview Park headquarters, the Cabin Club and seven other up- David Hale, George Schindler and Kay Ameen of Hospitality Restaurants scale dining establishments, including Blue Point Grille in Cleve- adopted at least one family referred by the land’s Warehouse District; Delmonico’s Malachi Center for the holidays. Steakhouse in Independence; Kingfish They came up with the idea of donatin Copley-Fairlawn; Rosewood Grill ing $1,000 a day throughout the month locations in Hudson, Strongsville and of January to 30 area nonprofits. SchinWestlake; and Salmon Dave’s Pacific dler describes the recipients as small Grille in Rocky River — as well as charities that collect and distribute Thirsty Parrot, a sports bar near Pro- food, clothing, household goods, etc. to gressive Field. those in need. Schindler notes that every location “A thousand dollars is not going to be reopened as soon as the state of Ohio a game-changer for most charities,” he relaxed pandemic shutdown restrictions concedes. “But for small charities that in May 2020. don’t have overhead and salaries — a lot “The number 30 kept coming up,” of them are just all volunteer — it goes a Schindler, who serves as president, long way.” remembers. “We thought about doing a Most of the nonprofits, Schindler adds, prix fixe meal to drive traffic, but that’s were chosen from recommendations proa little bit self-serving. All of the commu- vided by local mayors and police chiefs at nities that we’ve worked in have been so Hospitality Restaurants’ request. Some supportive over all of these years.” of them include Cleveland Kosher Food The pair turned to the business’s histo- Pantry in South Euclid, Fairview Park ry of philanthropy for inspiration. They’d Hunger Center and The Turn (formerly always contributed to organizations com- the Northern Ohio Golf Association bating food insecurity. And each eatery Charities & Foundation and Return
