The Industry Fund Hosts Waiters' Race in Atlanta

The Industry Fund calls on all Atlanta waiters and waitresses to participate in the first Waiters’ Race Atlanta on July 14  at 5:30 p.m. at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta.

The event will celebrate the excellence, dedication, hard work and discipline of the more than 230,000 food preparers and servers who work in the metro Atlanta restaurant industry and benefit The Giving Kitchen (TGK).

Historically, the Waiters’ Race takes place on Bastille Day in Paris to honor the profession. Waiters must walk as quickly as possible through the cobblestone streets of Paris holding a loaded tray without spilling the contents. Today, the “Course des Garçons de Café” is organized in more than 50 countries and attracts hundreds of thousands of people annually.

The Waiters’ Race Atlanta puts a Southern spin on the nearly 100-year-old Parisian event. Participants will walk with a server’s tray in one hand, toting a glass of water, a glass of wine and a split of champagne. After finishing the route, the liquid in their glasses will be measured and they will be expected to open and pour the split without spilling. Participants will be judged on speed, service and style. The winner will receive a round-trip ticket to Paris and a traveling trophy housed in their restaurant for the next 12 months. After the race, Le Bilboquet will host an after-party at center plaza, including live entertainment, outdoor bar, food stands, flower cart, Bocce courts and sidewalk retail activations. This event is free to the public. 

TGK is an Atlanta-based non-profit organization whose mission is to be the beyond-expectation resource at times of unanticipated crisis for anyone employed in the Atlanta restaurant community. Since its inception, TGK has given more than grants to front- and back-of-house restaurant employees facing unanticipated crisis events.

“We are deeply appreciative to the industry fund for naming our organization as the recipient of the proceeds from this exciting, new Atlanta event,” The Giving Kitchen Director of Partnerships Naomi Green said. “This kind of event is such a great way to celebrate one of Atlanta’s core industries-the restaurant industry, which is a vital part of what makes this city such a great place to live.”

Event sponsors include the Georgia Restaurant Association, the French American Chamber of Commerce, Whispering Angel, Moet Hennessy and Alliance Francaise d’Atlanta.

“We are excited to partner with The Industry Fund to celebrate and support a group of hard working men and women who are the backbone of Atlanta’s restaurant industry,” Georgia Restaurant Association CEO Karen Bremer said. 

To learn more about the Waiters’ Race Atlanta and register to participate in the race, click here.