Halifax Burger Week kicks off this week after a six-month postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Organized every year by The Coast, Burger Week is a Halifax-wide burger-eating phenomenon and fundraiser.
Starting on Thursday, 140 restaurants in the Halifax area will be offering special burgers for $6 or more, until the end of the month.
But it’s not just about eating burgers — it’s also about giving back.
Participating restaurants can choose to donate the proceeds from Burger Week to Feed Nova Scotia, a non-profit that supplies Nova Scotia food banks and meal programs with resources.
“Every year we’re excited about Burger Week,” says Karen Theriault with Feed Nova Scotia.
“It’s an opportunity for people to get out and enjoy a good meal together; it’s a way to show a little love for our local restaurants… and of course, because it raises money to support our work.”
Burger Week is one of the biggest fundraising events of the year for Feed Nova Scotia.
Last year, $150,000 was raised for Feed Nova Scotia from 75,000 burgers sold. Over $435,000 was raised in the last seven years.
“There are many people across Nova Scotia who need the food support that is made available through this campaign” Theriault says.
She says 650,000 meals have been provided through the Burger Week campaign.
“You have a picture of how many people were able to sit down and enjoy a meal together because someone else supported one of those restaurants that were giving back,” she said.
Le Bistro By Liz, a restaurant on South Park Street, has been participating in Burger Week since it started in 2012.
Owner Liz Ingram-Chambers told Global News that each year, her restaurant has served the same burger — the Crispy Haddock.
“It’s been so popular and it was such a huge hit when we first opened. We didn’t know what to expect.”
In the restaurant’s first ever Burger Week, they sold around 500 burgers.
“We were shocked. We ran out of buns, we ran out of the haddock,” she says. “By the end of that week my chefs didn’t want anything to have to do with the haddock burger ever again.”
Last year, Le Bistro by Liz sold 1,278 Crispy Haddock Burgers in Burger Week.
“It’s a huge impact to feed our community,” Ingram-Chambers says. “This is a fabulous way of doing it.”
Of the 140 burgers one the map for this year’s event, Ingram-Chambers says a donair burger drew her attention the most.
A donair burger is on the lineup from The Wooden Monkey in Alderney Landing, Oasis, Tony’s Famous Donairs & Pizza, and Johnny K’s.
“Donair hamburger sounds pretty good… and there was a nice dill pickle one,” Ingram-Chambers said.
There are also over 15 vegetarian or vegan burgers on the menu this year.
Theriault says she is particularly excited about this year’s Burger Week because the last several months saw many restaurants close their doors, as the demand for food support increased.
“We felt a bit helpless, honestly, watching it all unfold,” she says. “But, the community and this event just gives us so many reasons to smile.”
Theriault says she hopes people show up and support the event.
“You are helping our economy to thrive and get back to business. You’re providing that sort of support and compassion for those in our community who are really struggling right now,” she says.
“It just has all the components of being a feel-good event.”
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