This weekend, Seattle residents can enjoy delicious meals while supporting a vital cause. From Friday, February 7 to Sunday, February 9, more than 100 restaurants, bars, and pop-ups across the city will participate in the Seattle Hospitality Immigration Fundraiser. The event aims to raise funds for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing legal services, advocacy, and education to immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Washington State.
A Powerful Community Effort
The fundraiser is part of a long-standing tradition of Seattle restaurants coming together to support key social issues. In previous years, local eateries have raised thousands of dollars for causes such as abortion rights, the 2023 Hawai’i wildfires, and an earlier immigration rights campaign in 2018.
One of the anonymous organizers shared their thoughts with The South Seattle Emerald, saying, “There is something really powerful about working with food in this moment. Restaurants are public spaces that help bring people together and mobilize support for issues in ways that many other businesses can’t.”
The Urgency of Supporting Immigrant Workers
The restaurant community in Seattle has been particularly impacted by changes in immigration policies. Jayson Kochan, manager of the participating restaurant Mezzanotte, emphasized how much the industry relies on immigrant labor: “We rely heavily on local farms, and that’s where you’ll find a lot of immigrants. They are the backbone to the labor force.”
The fundraiser holds even greater significance in light of recent immigration policy proposals from the Trump administration, which have deeply affected both the restaurant industry and the immigrant workforce.
“This is an attack on everybody, the whole city,” the anonymous organizer noted. “Customers are excited, just like the restaurant operators involved. They feel good about contributing to the local economy in a way that benefits more than just the restaurant.”
Participating Restaurants and Special Dishes
From casual spots like Spice Waala, an Indian street food chain, to upscale dining at The Walrus and the Carpenter, the event offers a variety of ways to support the cause. Many of the participating restaurants will feature special menu items or drinks, with all proceeds going to NWIRP.
For instance, Mezzanotte, a northern Italian restaurant in Georgetown, will serve a special bucatini cacio e pepe with truffle butter alongside a specialty cocktail.
Seattle’s Ongoing Commitment to Immigrant Communities
This isn’t the first time Seattle’s restaurant community has united to support its immigrant neighbors. Spice Waala co-founders Uttam Mukherjee and Dr. Aakanksha Sinha have been active in helping immigrants through the #Bhojan project, donating over $42,000 to provide culturally relevant meals to immigrants in need.
“We got an opportunity to open a business that brings forward our own culture,” Dr. Sinha said. “So it’s important for us to stand up for the immigrant community that’s an integral part of our society.”
How to Participate
The Seattle Hospitality Immigration Fundraiser runs from February 7 to 9. A complete list of participating restaurants, bars, and pop-ups is available on Instagram and includes details on the special dishes offered.
So, why not dine out this weekend and contribute to a worthy cause? Your meal could help provide much-needed support to immigrant communities that enrich the fabric of Seattle.
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