For a long time, Anh and Chi only accepted walk-ins. Loyal and committed guests continued to form a line outside the restaurant to experience some of the best Vietnamese recipes in the vibrant and reimagined space.
In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, many local communities were struggling. Restaurants were forced to shut, nonprofits had little to no donations, and we all had to somehow stay safe. So we pivoted. We bottled our sauces, created canned beverages, expanded our take-out and delivery options, and finally when restaurants were allowed to open again, we came up with an idea to meet all our needs. That was when Anh and Chi’s Reservation by Donation program was born.
Guests can, for the first time, book a table in advance by donating $10 per person to a local charity of their choice. Charities are nominated by staff and guests, and we rotate in organizations and causes that are close to our homes and hearts each quarter.
Every dollar donated has reached
more than 15 nonprofit communities across Vancouver
"We learned that during troubled times, people were actually more inclined to give - give their time, their ideas, their resources to help one another." adds Co-Founder Amelie Nguyen. It was beautiful to receive an overwhelmingly positive welcome to the first Reservation by Donation program in our city. People were more than ready to give to causes close to their hearts, including programs supporting young people, IBPOC communities, people living with food scarcity, mental illness or homelessness, and many who are struggling and living with drug use.
It is a testament to our Main Street neighbours in Mount Pleasant and guests across the Lower Mainland and abroad, that they are ready to lead with their hearts all year round. We would like to recognize our staff and guests who have pioneered this program benefiting our collective community.
Anh and Chi guests and staff have raised and donated $126,000 to date
Here are just a handful of the organizations that your donations have reached and supported in the last six months:
- Indian Residential School Survivor Society, for trauma-informed and culturally-safe counselling, support and advocacy ($13,070)
- Contributing to Lives of Inner City Kids, with safety, arts and tutorial programs ($10,450)
- Mission Possible, building employment capacity with people in the Vancouver DTES ($9,370)
- UNHCR-Canada, benefiting refugees in Ukraine and underfunded emergencies in Yemen, Bangladesh and South Sudan ($21,850)
We look forward to seeing where this program will go next, and what other organizations and charities our guests will champion. You can also nominate a charity that is doing amazing work in Vancouver to eat@anhandchi.com - we’d love to hear from you!
This community never ceases to inspire us, and we just wanted to say THANK YOU!
Learn more about the current community-nominated charities and/or book a table for 2023, visit us here.
