BELLEVUE, Neb. (KMTV)– Taste of Bellevue is preparing for it's summer celebration which starts this weekend. The event gives neighbors a chance to win gift cards to local restaurants.
- Taste of Bellevue is celebrating 10 years.
- The summer celebration will allow neighbors to win gift cards to try new local businesses.
- The event was start by Bellevue native Garrett Sims after he noticed his favorite place to eat wasn't getting the business it deserved.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Garret Sims wanted to do something for small restaurants in his community after he noticed one of his favorite places sat empty.
"I started to brainstorm how we could get people in the door to try the food," Sims said.
So he created the Facebook group Taste of Bellevue. After it grew from a couple of hundred people to thousands he started an event where local businesses could donate gift cards to raffle off to neighbors so they get the chance to try a new place. According to Sims, it also gets people from surrounding communities to bring businesses to their town.
"Bellevue has had some tough times that last few years so it is nice to see something to hang their hat on and say Bellevue has one of the best restaurant scenes"," he said.
And over the last ten years, it has made businesses boom with customers
Happy Buddha's is one of those restaurants. Since it opened two years ago, the Taste of Bellevue has brought awareness to the new business
"He's helped out quite a bit for everybody," the owner of Happy Buddha's John Stevens said. "Just to see everybody in Bellevue get to gather and support all the other businesses and it is kind of fun too."
Since the group is celebrating 10 years, this year's Taste of Bellevue event is going to be the biggest one yet and will feature over 30 local places.
Neighbors interested in participating can click here.
The event starts this Saturday.
