We don’t have to tell you that Miami’s incredible chefs and restaurants make an impact on our community. They feed us. They serve us. They provide jobs. When you find a restaurant you love, it becomes a vehicle for memory-making for years to come. And when one of Miami’s most beloved chefs, José Mendín—already a five-time James Beard Award nominee and the brains behind Miami’s Pubbelly dynasty, amongst other accomplishments—goes above and beyond that impact by launching a charitable dining program to help local schools, we can’t help but love him more.
With four locations across South Florida, Pubbelly Sushi has become known for its hip Asian dishes with a Latin flair, like Tuna Pizza served on a crispy tortilla and topped with tuna, garlic aioli and truffle oil, or the Butter Krab Roll dipped in rich, warm clarified butter. Now, thanks to its School Fundraiser program, which just launched in October 2018, regular and soon-to-be fans of the restaurant can dine there like always and give back to their schools in the process.
“I love to get involved in the community, and if I get to do that while doing something I love, that’s even better,” said Mendín. “Like so many of us, I have two boys that go to school in South Florida, so it’s important to me to contribute to their education in some way.”
Open to all Miami-Dade and Broward County schools, the month-long program is free and easy to join. It takes place on select months, and runs from the first to last day of that month. During that time, faculty, staff and students from participating schools are invited to eat lunch or dinner at Pubbelly’s Downtown Dadeland or Aventura locations. With proof of where they go to school (which is as simple as bringing in the Pubbelly flyer associated with the promotion), 10% of their bill will go straight back to that school. And to encourage a little competition, the school that raises the most money that month will get a $1,000 cash prize from Pubbelly Sushi.
So far, Pubbelly’s School Fundraiser has benefited schools throughout South Florida, including: SOMI Somerset Academy, Riviera Preparatory, Pinecrest Elementary, Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School, Palmetto, and St. Thomas the Apostle. Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High won the cash prize from the most recent promotion, which ran from November 1 – 30, 2018.
“We were so excited that Pubbelly reached out to us to do something positive for our school,” says Stephanie Ordot, PTSA President at Krop and the person who organized the school’s involvement. “Most of the time, we have to ask restaurants to do fundraisers for us, so it was great to be approached this way.”
And for the faculty, staff and students at Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School, that involvement has already paid off.
“We had three new clubs start at school this year that needed things like podcast equipment and robotics supplies, and the grand prize money helped a lot of students,” Ordot said. “We appreciate everything Pubbelly has done, and I know people will remember that and keep going back for more delicious food—especially that Butter Krab Roll! That was definitely a student favorite.”
Pubbelly Sushi Dadeland is located at 8970 SW 72nd Place. Pubbelly Sushi – Aventura is located inside Aventura Mall.
