You are slurping an oyster under a patio umbrella as the sun sets on a sticky Cambridge afternoon. The waiter brings out a specialty cocktail, something rosey, something with bubbles, and when the time comes for you to pay for the check, you also pull out your Dining Passport. You return in a month with a $100 voucher.
That is what the Cambridge and Somerville Chambers of Commerce have in store for foodies and frequent diners, a Dining Passport program intended to benefit local restaurant staff and hospitality workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Between July 1 and Aug. 15, patrons can receive a Dining Passport with a $30 donation. A minimum purchase of $25 at participating restaurants earns a stamp in the passport, and four stamps qualify for $100 in return — in the form of four $25 vouchers — which can be redeemed from Sept. 1 through the end of the year.
In order to receive their vouchers, patrons must submit their completed Dining Passports, either digitally or through the mail, to the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce’s office in Kendall Square by Aug. 31. All of the passport proceeds will go to support local restaurants and nonprofit organizations.
“The passport program is a ‘win-win-win’ initiative that directly benefits restaurants, hospitality workers, and local diners,” said David Maher, president and CEO of the Cambridge Chamber.
At Base Crave, a Nepalese fusion restaurant in West Cambridge, manager Bhola Pandey hopes that the program will boost sales and revive the business after a difficult year of pandemic shutdown. The restaurant opened in January 2020 but promptly had to close when the stay-at-home order went into effect. Because it was a relatively new business, the owners couldn’t qualify for federal assistance. They hung onto the hope of an eventual return to normal.
“We were newbies. We couldn’t hire anybody. All of us who were working — we couldn’t issue paychecks for ourselves, so it was a horrible year,” said Pandey.
The program is funded by the COVID Resilience & Recovery Urban Partnership, a four-month collaboration between the Cambridge and Somerville Chambers of Commerce to leverage a portion of a $160,000 grant from the state.
“The Dining Passport program is exciting because it will help our local economies get back to work while providing relief for workers in the hard-hit hospitality sector,” said Stephen Mackey, president and CEO of the Somerville Chamber, in a statement. “We are proud to offer this program to local diners.”
In addition to Base Crave, other restaurants taking part in the program are ArtBar, Atwood’s Tavern, Bambara Kitchen & Bar, Cambridge Common, Catalyst, Colette Wine Bistro, Craigie on Main, El Potro Mexican Bar & Grill, Foundry on Elm, Fuji at Assembly, Highland Fried, Hong Kong, The Hourly Oyster House, Highland Kitchen, The Independent, La Fabrica, The Lexington, Lily P’s, Mamaleh’s, Nirvana: The Taste of India, Nubar, Ole, Pammy’s, PJ Ryan’s, Puritan & Company, Russell House Tavern, The S&S Restaurant, Saloon, Shabu & Mein, The Smoke Shop, State Park, Summer Shack, Vera’s, and Vincent’s.
Keep checking the Cambridge Chamber website, www.cambridgechamber.org/cambridge-somerville-taste-2021, for updates and to sign up for the Dining Passport.