Sizzle Southwest Florida patrons will fund FGCU student scholarships

A sizzle that sponsors students in our area.

“The money you put towards that meal is going back to a student at FGCU,” said Angela Kunkle, an assistant director of development at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Your meal is making a difference for FGCU students learning how to run restaurants.

“We’re actually training students to be managers to go out and run the restaurants,” said Randy Upchurch, FGCU Resort & Hospitality program director. “This got our program better connected to the industry through a partnership.”

From now until June 12, more than five dozen diners in our area will give back part of your bill to the university’s hospitality program through ‘Sizzle Southwest Florida Restaurant Week.’

The goal of the initiative is to raise $50,000 to allocate to student scholarships in the Resort and Hospitality program.

“It makes a big difference because many of the students have financial need when they come in,” Upchurch said. “That’s what we’re all about – making a difference in people’s lives. We actually have 100 percent placement in this program.”

“It’s neat they have restaurants in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Estero and Naples and a lot of the restaurants they’re not easy to get too,” Kunkle said. “They’re not cheap and this is an opportunity where those restaurants take advantage of the fact that it’s summer.

“It’s a little bit slower and the people who may not be able to afford to enjoy the restaurants sometimes,” Kunkle said. “It’s an opportunity for them to check out this menu because it’s cheaper prices.”

An opportunity to taste something new and help Florida’s future dive in.

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Check back with WINK News throughout Restaurant Week as we cover the event and highlight participating restaurants and their menus.

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