Our Mission
The Charleston Restaurant Foundation (CRF) mission is to support the charitable deeds of the Charleston Restaurant Association (CRA), which serves the geographical area of Charleston, SC. Its focus is to advocate its member restaurants by providing them the resources they need so that their guests can savor and celebrate Lowcountry cuisine. The CRF holds three primary annual fundraising events: Charleston Restaurant Week, The Taste of Charleston and the Lowcountry Oyster Festival. Annual fundraising events enable the CRF to give back to the community that has so generously supported its members. To date, those fundraising efforts have enabled the CRA to donate over $1,000,000 to local charities.
Goals
The Charleston Restaurant Association (CRA) is a nonpartisan trade organization serving the Charleston Area restaurant industry. The CRA is a chapter of the Hospitality Association of South Carolina (HASC) and the National Restaurant Association (NRA). All members of the CRA automatically gain membership in the HASC and the NRA. CRA members are granted all the privileges and benefits of all three associations and political representation on a local, state, and national level.
The Charleston Restaurant Association serves as the voice of the Charleston Area foodservice industry on government and public relations issues. It provides programs that offer operational benefits, which creates opportunities for member involvement. Members are the cornerstone of the Charleston Area community and economy. The CRA represents the largest private sector employer in the tri-county area: hospitality and tourism.
The CRA also works collaboratively with the Charleston Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Crisis Ministries: Feed the Need, the Charleston Hospitality Association, and the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce.
