FORT COLLINS — Local restaurants are once again teaming up with the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority to give to the Food Bank for Larimer County. The 17th annual Great Plates fundraising event is set to start March 1 at more than 40 Old Town restaurants.

Restaurants participating in the program will offer $25 specials and $2.50 side options to promote the event. Diners will be able to add donations to their bills, which go to the food bank.

Each restaurant will offer different specials, with some being active all day and others being available only for dinner. Some specials are available for carry-out, while others are dine-in only.

Larger specials range from a two-course dinner for one at Austin’s American Grill to four pints of ice cream from Walrus Ice Cream, while smaller specials include hot chocolates from Mugs Old Town and two scoops of ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s.

Old Town staples like Beau Jo’s Pizza and Coopersmith’s Pub & Brewing are joining newer spots like Comet Chicken and trendy favorites like The Waffle Lab to give. Old Town businesses raised more than $100,000 in 2021. 

“Seeing so many Downtown Fort Collins restaurants participating in Great Plates, not only fills us with immeasurable gratitude, but also reminds us that through broad collaboration like this, our vision of a hunger-free Larimer County can one day become a reality,” said Amy Pezzani, CEO of the Food Bank for Larimer County.

The program runs from March 1 to March 14.