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By Molly  Gise

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(Sept. 20, 2009) Thousands of restaurants nationwide, from fast-food chains to fine-dining establishments, are joining together this week in the Great American Dine Out, helping to raise money to end childhood hunger.

The second annual Great American Dine Out, organized by Share Our Strength, kicked off Sunday, Sept. 20, and runs through Saturday, Sept. 27. Between 3,500 and 4,000 restaurants are participating, said Debbie Shore, co-founder of Share Our Strength.

Click here to find a restaurant in your area that is participating in the Great American Dine Out.

Restaurants that sign up for the Dine Out choose how they want to participate. Some donate a percentage of their weekly sales or the sales from a special menu. Others encourage their customers to donate, either by adding an extra dollar to their tab or purchasing a particular item off the menu.

For example, Captain D’s is donating a percentage of its sale on Monday, while Joe’s Crab Shack is raising money by selling T-shirts and “donation cards” that offer the donor a free dessert on the next visit. The Palm steakhouse chain is donating proceeds from all coffee drinks sold during the week, and Buffalo Wild Wings is donating a percentage of sales from all Wild Flatbreads sold.

Shore said the number of participating restaurants this year is slightly below last year’s tally, but she noted that the enthusiasm of the operators taking part in the Dine Out suggests that more money will be raised. Last year’s event raised more than $500,000.

“Those that have registered seem much more engaged and seem to have much more robust campaigns,” she said. “It indicates to me that we’re going to see more revenue.”

With the nation in the throes of a recession, the need for services that provide food to families has grown to an alarming level. One in six children is at risk for hunger, Shore said.

By Molly  Gise

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“The issue is more front and center this year with the economy,” she said. “There is a greater need. Communities are seeing for the first time real middle-class families falling into poverty and needing those services for the first time.”

For restaurants, the Dine Out provides a way to both help their communities and drive traffic at a time when many consumers are cutting back, Shore said. The event allows for flexibility, so operators could find the best way to participate without further eating into already slim margins.

Taco Bueno kicked off its promotion last week, asking customers to donate to the cause by adding an extra dollar or more to their tabs. All 162 of the chain’s company-operated locations are participating, said John Miller, Taco Bueno’s president and chief executive.

“People are hungry. This is a tough time. But we’re doing pretty good. Traffic is starting to grow,” Miller said. “We can bemoan how tough it is all we want, but we know people have it a lot tougher than we do.”

Taco Bueno participated in the inaugural Great American Dine Out last year, and Miller said the chain was eager to sign up again. He said that Share Our Strength did a good job in spreading the word throughout the restaurant industry.

“It’s more important to find a way to get involved rather than just say no,” he said. “And there are a lot of companies finding a way to say yes.”

Shore said SOS learned a lot from last year’s event, which helped the organization in its recruitment efforts this year. The organization also worked more closely with state restaurant associations, with the help of the National Restaurant Association. And the group held webinars to teach operators about the issue of childhood hunger and how they could help by participating in the Dine Out.

“We’ve been able to communicate to our restaurant partners that hunger exists not because there isn’t enough food or programs,” Shore said. “There are food and programs, but families don’t have access to nutritious food where they live, where they go to school and where they play.”

“We’re amazed and in awe of the restaurants that have found a way in this tough economy to reach out to their communities,” she added. “We’re so grateful.”

Contact Molly Gise at mgise@nrn.com.