“Movie Night at the Crest” hosted by The Crest Gastropub will kick off at 7 p.m. Sunday. 100 percent of proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Gladden Community House. Credit: Courtesy of Georgia Alexander
Dinner and a show with a side of a community cause is coming to a restaurant near you this fall.
The Crest Gastropub, a farm-to-table restaurant in Clintonville, Ohio, is hosting an outdoor movie series called “Movie Night at the Crest” Sunday at 7 p.m. to raise money for the Gladden Community House, an affiliate of the United Way nonprofit agency that offers neighborhood-based social services in Columbus.
The event will be held outside at Crest’s parking lot and 100 percent of ticket sales will be donated to the Gladden Community House. The movie playing will be the 1996 classic, “Mars Attacks!” according to the event page. There will be a limited menu with snacks and drinks available for purchase during the movie.
Georgia Alexander, general manager at the Crest, said the Crest team is hoping that with combined sales from tickets and food, along with asking for direct donations, they’ll be able to raise $1,000-$2,000.
Alexander said she and her team came up with the idea following the reopening of the restaurant after it had been closed due to the coronavirus.
“We actually had a whole summer of events that we were going to do at the Crest just to kind of celebrate us being open for eight years, and we obviously had to put a pause and a hold on these events,” Alexander said.
Alexander said that when the restaurant reopened, the staff wanted to do something for the community. They wanted to create something that encouraged social distancing and gathering in a safe way, and that’s how the movie night was developed.
Travis Hoewischer, director of development at the Gladden Community House, said Crest approached the charity, as they were looking to partner with a nonprofit community service organization.
“I know a lot of businesses right now are just trying to be creative and keeping their customers in their community-engaged safely, and for organizations like ourselves, it’s really imperative and important,” Hoewischer said. “We’re really grateful that local businesses are still trying to find ways to give back so we were thrilled to partner with them.”
Partnering with the Crest was a natural decision for the Gladden House, as Hoewischer said the Crest is a food service business and community-minded, and the Gladden House specializes in helping and serving the community as well.
“We serve children, seniors and families. We have a food pantry, a preschool program, youth sports and senior outreach,” Hoewischer said.
He said the Gladden House has been supporting the community in Franklinton and the near west side for 115 years.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the looks on people’s faces, seeing the positive benefits in the community of people being able to gather a little bit safely and knowing that a portion of those proceeds go towards helping neighbors of ours that are even more in need now than ever,” Hoewischer said.
“Movie Night at the Crest” will kick off at 7 p.m. Sunday at The Crest Gastropub. Tickets cost $5 and seating is first come first serve, according to the event page.
