DineSmart Is Ending – for Alejandro Saravia, It Was More Than Just a Fundraiser

On a restaurant bill, $2 might seem insignificant. But when it’s multiplied across hundreds of restaurants over more than two decades, it becomes transformative.

That simple idea fuelled DineSmart, a campaign by StreetSmart Australia in partnership with hospitality venues across Australia. Each December – the busiest dining month of the year – participating restaurants add an optional $2 donation to diners’ bills. Since 2003, those two-dollar contributions have added up to more than $4.4 million, funding 1151 grassroots grants and helping thousands of people sleeping rough move from the streets into safe and secure housing.

Collectively, diners have helped support meals, emergency accommodation, outreach programs and preventative services – simply by making a small, optional contribution. But after 23 years, this December will mark DineSmart’s final service in its current form.

Restaurateur Alejandro Saravia (Farmer’s Daughters, Morena, Barra and more) began partnering with DineSmart in 2015. For him, the initiative has always been about direct, tangible impact – ensuring support reaches people and programs that genuinely need it.

​​“To me, it’s important that we support charities that have a community purpose – a bigger purpose than just, you know, a small activation here and there,” says Saravia. “What got me involved 10 years ago was the story of the community that they built around hospitality, and the support that they provide to youth and underprivileged groups.

“When you’re out in the city and seeing things [on the streets], it’s easy to judge people. I’ve heard a lot of things like, ‘There’s so much opportunity in Australia, you just need to be willing to work hard’. But a lot of people haven’t had the mentoring or the confidence and life experience to actually do that, and different circumstances don’t allow them to make that step forward. DineSmart has helped create the support they need to turn their situation around. The impact is really strong.”

This sense of community extended to hospitality teams, who joined forces at charity events to support the cause. Saravia recalls a gala dinner at Federation Square, hosted by Farmer’s Daughters, where DineSmart ambassadors from venues in Sydney and Melbourne cooked side by side. “It was so good to see everybody working together for one particular purpose.”

The interactive nature of hospitality also created space for important conversations. “It’s not only about asking for money, but also raising awareness. Our guests are advised that we are part of the project, and we explain the mission and why we’re participating. So the message doesn’t stay just in our own staff or team. In all our venues, our customers have been very happy to support this initiative. Word of mouth is sometimes more powerful than any other channel of communication.

“It also proves you shouldn’t underestimate [1] small contributions. When you do it as a collective, with like-minded people working towards the same goal, it actually makes a big difference. It adds up to a lot in the end.”

Broadsheet is a proud media partner of DineSmart. DineSmart’s Final Service will run from December 1 to 31. For a full list of participating venues in Sydney and Melbourne, visit streetsmartaustralia.org/dinesmart. Online donations are available for those who want to contribute but can’t attend in person.