Main Line restaurants are joining the fight this year. Returning for a 35th annual iteration, Dining Out For Life from Action Wellness features over 40 participating restaurants from the Philadelphia area on April 24. On that night, these restaurants will offer specials and deals while donating to support local individuals living with HIV.
Predating Center City Restaurant Week, Night Markets and other chef events across the region, Dining Out For Life stands as one of the region’s longest and strongest traditions and has been replicated in more than 50 cities across the globe.
“With very little effort, people in the greater Philadelphia area can help end HIV simply by going to a participating restaurant on April 24,” shares Action Wellness Executive Director Mary Evelyn Torres.
This year, several restaurants across the western suburbs will be joining in on supporting the cause, including Sophie’s BBQ, Spasso Italian Grill (Media) and Spring Mill Cafe. While many of the restaurants on the list plan to donate a fixed amount, all three Main Line region entries plan to donate a percentage of their sales from the evening, and at Spring Mill Cafe that even includes alcohol sales.
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“It was kind of a no brainer to get involved,” notes Sophie’s BBQ chef Greg Herman. “I think this lines up with all of our our values and missions and gives back to the community.”
As a business that had to rely on help from the community following a devasting fire shortly after opening in 2023, Herman is well aware of how meaningful local support can be.
“We’re always looking for ways to give back to the community,” Herman shares. “Being part of a cause that has raised millions of dollars in the belief that in the future no one has to go through HIV alone is a cause that I believe in personally.”
Of the 18,000 individuals in Philadelphia currently living with HIV, Action Wellness has personally supported over 2,000 clients and families and raised over $5 million in the process over the past decades.
“Today, because of medical advancements and the hard work of Action Wellness and other HIV services organizations, we can end HIV. However, there is still an incredible amount of work that needs to be done to end the epidemic as we continue to support individuals and their families in their journey,” Torres says.
Related: April Dining News Across the Main Line’s Restaurant Scene
