‘Dine out for life’ today at 18 Tacoma-area restaurants, bars
A longstanding diner, a Vietnamese dessert spot, several cafes and a few of the city’s best restaurants are among 18 Tacoma-area businesses participating in this year’s Dining Out for Life, an annual nationwide fundraiser that supports local HIV service organizations.
On Thursday, April 24, South Sound participants will donate a portion of their sales to Affordable Housing and Treatment Homecare (AHAT). The nonprofit has helped people living with HIV/AIDS access affordable healthcare and housing, expanding their services to also assist those with Hepatitis C in 2016.
The biggest percentage will come from The Mix, the beloved queer bar with nightly karaoke near downtown Tacoma, which will donate 75% of all sales on Thursday to AHAT. The Powder Room Champagne Bar, open for lunch and dinner in the Stadium District, will donate 25%.
Most of the other local spots will send 10% of sales, with a couple offering an undisclosed fixed amount.
In Tacoma, participating businesses include:
▪ Lincoln District: Bambu
▪ McKinley: Dusty’s Hideaway, Tami’s in Tacoma
▪ Dome District: Alfred’s Cafe
▪ Downtown: Wooden City, Chez Lafayette Creole Brasserie, en Rama, Fusion Donut Cafe & Cocktail Lounge, Soulberry Coffee House
▪ St. Helens/Stadium: The Mix, Structure Cellars, The Powder Room
▪ Hilltop: Red Elm Cafe, Three Hearts
▪ Sixth Ave: Primo Grill
In Puyallup, Bourbon Street Creole Kitchen and The Coaster will support the cause.
More 2,400 restaurants are expected to participate in at least 22 states on Thursday, sending funds to 50-some service local organizations. Past events have raised $4.5 million, according to the event page. In each city, donations from participating restaurants are sent exclusively to the local partner.
“Dining Out for Life is a fun, easy way for the community to give back,” said AHAT executive director Chace Hunter in a press release. The nonprofit serves “some of our most vulnerable populations,” he added. “In a time when funding for HIV care and housing is being slashed from administrative budgets, we rely on that support more than ever.”
Around 15,000 people have been diagnosed with HIV in Washington, according to the state Department of Health’s 2024 report, with most living in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. More than 1.2 million are living with HIV nationwide, per data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Another 32 restaurants in Seattle will also send a portion of sales on April 24 to Lifelong, a nonprofit that supports vulnerable populations, including those living with HIV, kidney disease and diabetes.
Find the full list of participants, donation amounts and more details at diningoutforlife.com.