What we’re about
Syracuse is a city with a diverse and vibrant cultural ecosystem. We have for years welcomed people from all over the world , and they have enriched our community in countless ways. One of the most conspicuous examples of this is with food- we have been fortunate to have many exciting and interesting restaurants started by immigrant entrepreneurs willing to share their culture and talents with the rest of the Central New York community. Sadly though, CNY has not been as supportive of these restaurants as we could be. Too many ethnic restaurants have struggled and eventually closed. While some of this may be self inflicted (poor service, lack of capital, unfamiliarity with running a restaurant business) often, too often, it is from a lack of patronage. There is nothing more disheartening and frankly maddening than to go to a new ethnic restaurant on a Friday or Saturday, enjoy a fascinating and delicious meal, and be one of a meager handful of people in the place. There is something fundamentally wrong here. Much of this comes from a lack of publicity- too many people simple don't know about these new restaurants. And some of it comes from unfamiliarity and lack of an adventurous palate. For those afraid of trying new cuisine, this group probably isn't for you. There are plenty of Olive Gardens, Applebee's and Cheesecake Factories for you to enjoy. This group is for those that love trying new foods, new tastes. This group is for those that want to meet the people behind these restaurants and learn more about what brought them to CNY and what inspires them. So if you are of that mindset, come on board! We plan on having at least one restaurant meetup a month. Maybe more if a new and interesting place pops up between the scheduled meetups. We look to our members to keep their ears and eyes open and let us know when they come across a new place. We will also be visiting many of the existing ethnic restaurants because they need our love too.
