Order up!

Taste Community Restaurant is known for its tasty dishes, and so far this year, the pomegranate glazed chicken was getting rave reviews from diners.

The price?

Whatever a patron can afford to pay. Some contribute what the dish would normally cost, while others add a little extra to pay it forward and help someone in need.

You see, this Fort Worth restaurant serves delicious food with a side of positive community impact.

According to Feeding America, 1 in 8 North Texans faces hunger – the fourth highest rate of food insecurity in its service area. The Taste Project, which operates the restaurant, is looking to change that.

Beyond serving delicious fare, Taste Project believes everyone should have access to healthy, nutritious food, and its community-centric projects focus on the under-served, food insecure population. In 2023, the restaurant helped fund the nonprofit’s work, providing tens of thousands of free or subsidized meals.

And with help from Texas Health, they are expanding their reach.

Last year, Taste Project received nearly $750,000 through a Community Impact grant, enabling the organization to offer workshops, coaching and health assessments through I-HEAL: Improving Health Equity Among Low-Income Adults.

In addition to addressing food insecurity, Taste Project provides long-term solutions to help lift people out of poverty. Through a collaboration with the Culinary School of Fort Worth, Texas Christian University and Pathfinders, a mentoring program focused on building financial capability and job readiness, I-HEAL works to address the chronic disease and financial hardship that often come with food insecurity.

The Certified Fundamental Cook Pre-Apprenticeship Program includes on-the-job training at Taste Community Restaurant and classroom instruction from the Culinary School of Fort Worth. Participants earn a basic culinary certification and receive one-on-one coaching, leadership skills, and faith-based discipleship.

Taste Community Restaurant and its community-focused endeavors have been so successful, the Taste Project plans to open an Arlington location in 2024.

Interested in supporting the work? You don’t have to dine in to give back! Volunteers are essential to keeping the restaurant going, and there are plenty of opportunities available, from greeting diners to serving up the delicious food.