First Bite Food is Love

First Bite has been using its platform to raise funds and support the restaurant industry and the community as a whole. Starting in 2019, it began with Two for Tuesday in which finds were raised for Boulder County Farmers Market, Conscious Alliance, Growing Gardens, Resource Central, and Sister Carmen. In 2020 with Covid creating a situation where the restaurant industry was closed for dining, First Bite wrote and published a cookbook with recipes from local chefs to create A Bite of Boulder. The book took recipes submitted by chefs and restaurants in Boulder County and donated 10% of the proceeds to the participating restaurants. The book continues to be carried by a selection of retailers and online bringing those proceeds to the participants still. In 2021 when the 10-day dining event was able to be held again, the nonprofit component was Dine Out to Give Back, donating a percentage of all delivery orders made through Nosh during the week to the Emergency Family Assistance Association.

When Boulder County felt the aftermath of The Marshall Fire, First Bite felt strongly about finding a way to help those impacted, and without an active event to use as a platform for it, instead, Food is Love was born giving space to raise funds year-round. Together they worked with restaurants and raised over $12,900 in purchased gift cards to local restaurants that were given to families affected by the fires in the Boulder Valley School District. The Food is Love campaign also took a percentage of the event proceeds from First Bite’s inaugural First Sip weekend in April and will continue to grow and evolve to support the ever-changing needs of Boulder County and the local food community at large.

Society Insurance has generously committed to match the first $3000 in donations.

Society Insurance

Gift cards will be purchased from the First Bite Annual Partner Restaurants:

  • Ash’Kara
  • Bohemian Biergarten
  • Cafe Aion
  • Corrida
  • Dagabi Tapas Bar
  • The Empire Lounge & Restaurant
  • Fringe, A Well-Taped Eatery
  • Japango
  • OAK at Fourteenth
  • T/ACO
  • Zucca Italian Ristorante

$12,900 Raised Towards Our $13,000 Goal

99%

as of 1/31/22

Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely. All money will be directed to purchasing these gift cards from the restaurants and the receiving families. Please note a 3% credit card processing fee will be added to the price of the gift card.

These gift cards have no expiration date and can be used at the recipients discretion.

Families impacted by the Marshall Fire within the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD): Coal Creek Elementary, Louisville Elementary, Monarch K-8, Fireside Elementary, and Superior Elementary will be eligible to receive these gift cards.

No application is necessary to be eligible for the program. They will be spread to those interested through the schools PTO in an equitable fashion.

Gift cards are eligible for purchase from January 10th – January 31st, 2022. You can purchase them on the First Bite website.

We are not accepting outside gift cards for this program, however you can find businesses taking gift card donations through the Disaster Assistance Center.

At this time, participation is limited to the restaurants currently part of our Annual Partner Restaurant Program.

First Bite will be working with the Parent Teacher Organization in the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) at Coal Creek Elementary. We suggest making sure your family’s school knows that you are rebuilding after the fire and they will be sure to include you as an interested participant when the gift cards are distributed.

Absolutely! Boulder County Wildfire Fund, City of Boulder, City of Louisville and Town of Superior all have dedicated pages with information and resources linking to a variety of funds and donation centers who would love help.