Before a restaurant welcomes its first guests, a vision is set in place filled with possibility. At the new Taste Community Restaurant, opening on March 5 in Arlington, food holds a stronger more meaningful purpose, to fuel and sustain an individual and to strengthen the community. The new restaurant will open its doors to the public on Wednesday, March 5, at 11 a.m.
This unique second restaurant from the Taste Project is based on an important concept, which is pay-what-you-can. The thoughtful mission is for no one to go hungry and that a restaurant can transform lives. Everyone is welcome at the Taste Community, no matter what an individual can afford.
The nonprofit organization, the Taste Project, which started the restaurant concept, has served more than 250,000 meals since its beginnings in Fort Worth, and continues its mission to feed, educate, and serve the food-insecure population in Tarrant County with its unique pay-what-you-can restaurant model.
The concept is simple yet truly innovative: guests walk in, take a seat, enjoy a carefully prepared meal crafted with fresh, locally sourced ingredients, and pay what they can afford. Some may contribute less, some may give more, but everyone has a place at the table. Everyone has their dignity and feels safe.
The menu offers healthy, high-quality meals made from seasonal ingredients from local sources. The menu has no prices as guests can pay what they can afford or pay what is typically owed at a similar type of restaurant.
Driving the initiative is Jeff Williams, founder and CEO of Taste Project. For him, building the restaurant wasn’t a business venture, it’s a calling, and serves a significant purpose. Williams grew up watching his parents struggle financially and unable to put food on the table. Jeff grew up in a family of four, and he remembers the times when food was scarce, and his parents would skip meals to make sure he and his sister were full. Taste Community Restaurant provides relief and offers a welcoming environment.
The original Taste Community Restaurant in Fort Worth, located at 1200 S. Main St., has already made a significant impact, serving over 250,000 meals and earning a spot on Yelp’s Top 100 Best Places to Eat in the U.S. It’s more than a restaurant—it’s a mission-driven café and a culinary training ground, equipping individuals with valuable skills to build careers in the food industry. The program has proven successful, with graduates securing jobs that pay an average of $16 per hour, providing not just employment but a future.
The new location at 200 N. Cooper St., just north of UT Arlington, boasts 3,000-square-foot space, featuring a full-service restaurant, a production kitchen, and a culinary training classroom to aid local adults and provide hands-on experience in food service.
Taste Project will host a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Arlington location on Monday, March 3, at 11 a.m., followed by festivities that include unique giveaways and tastings of the restaurant’s menu offerings. The public is invited to join the celebration and support this important addition to the Arlington community.
Vitals
- Address: 200 North Cooper Street, #150; Arlington, TX 76011
- Website: https://www.tasteproject.org
Map to Taste Community
Featured image from the Taste Project website
