Sizzle Dining heats up local restaurant scene

Oct 17, 2025 By CJ HADDAD 7 min read

It was a record-year for an annual food extravaganza that benefits a local non-profit that addresses child hunger.

Sizzle Dining recently announced the numbers for its biggest year yet, selling 87,483 meals.

The month-long, two county-wide event gave participants a chance to indulge in Southwest Florida flavors and delectable cuisines. Foodies had the opportunity to dine at a record-high number of restaurants throughout last month, for less.

For every Sizzle Dining meal purchased, $1 was donated to Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that feeds local elementary school children who face food insecurity on weekends.

“This year was really great,”said Sizzle Dining founder Guy Clarke. “We were able to help out Blessings more than ever before and feed more kids and help our local community. The event just keeps getting bigger every year. It’s great knowing all of this work we do, and all the support that we’re getting, brings this kind of impact. We’ll keep our fingers crossed it’ll continue to grow.”

The four-week-long event featured 127 participating restaurants across Lee and Collier counties, from Cape Coral to Marco Island, offering exclusive two-course lunches and three-course dinners at set prices, all while giving back to the community.

In 2024, the event sold more than 62,000 meals in its three-week run. This year, with a full four weeks lined up, organizers exceeded the expected 80,000 meals sold, each one contributing directly to the fight against childhood hunger in Southwest Florida. On top of the meals, more than 8,000 Sizzle cocktails were also sold.

The top three restaurants during Sizzle Dining were Estia (3,242 meals sold), The Bay House (2,916 meals sold), and Seasons 52 (2,488 meals sold). Among the top 20 sellers during Sizzle, six were first-time participants in the event, including Estia and the No. 4 restaurant, Blackbird Modern Asian.

“It’s really neat to see those numbers and how the event grows,” Clarke said. “Only two other restaurants had sold the numbers Estia did in the past. For some of these restaurants to be brand-new to the event and hit those numbers, wow.”

Over the past four years, Sizzle Dining has donated more than $150,000, helping ensure more than 30,000 hunger-free weekends for elementary school students across Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties.

Notable mentions from this year’s Sizzle Dining include a dollar-for-dollar match from Bone Hook Brewery and Craft Kitchen, with 506 meals sold equating to a $1,102 donation to Blessings in a Backpack. For the third year in a row, Phelan Family Brands was the top donor with 19 of its brand restaurants participating.

In Cape Coral, participating restaurants this year included Gather, Fathoms, Next Door, Pinchers, Sage on 47th, Stones Throw, and Two Meatballs in the Kitchen.

Of the event, owner of Stone’s Throw and Two Meatballs in the Kitchen, Franco Russo, who also owns other restaurants locally, said, “Anytime we can drum up business in the offseason, it’s enjoyable. Couple that with being a part of a good cause that gives back to a great organization, it’s a win-win.”

Russo said Sizzle not only helps local children in need, but also brings in new clientele and business.

“We see an increase in all of our restaurants,” he said. “Some more than others, but we definitely saw new faces.”

Russo added he feels the event is a positive one for the community and cities/towns that get involved.

This was the first year participating in Sizzle Dining for Sage on 47th and owner Ralph Centalonza. He said the restaurant thoroughly enjoyed how well organized the event was.

“The way in which it was put together down to every detail made it easy for not only our guests participating in the event, but the staff also enjoyed its ease and its widely advertised promotion to the public,” Centalonza said.

The restaurant also saw a boost in dining during a “slower” month of the year.

“We definitely saw an increase in patrons, both regular guests and first-timers all looking for a great deal during the slow summer season to enjoy delicious offerings while providing a discount in addition helping donate to a great local cause,” Centalonza said.

He added the he believes the impact Sizzle had on the community was a positive for not only the guests that enjoyed the discounted meals served, but also the restaurants that saw an increase in sales. Most important to him was the donations to Blessings in a Backpack.

“We are looking forward to participating next year and will spend the time until then promoting the event for an even greater success for all,” Centalonza said.

“It gets people talking about the restaurants in different areas of Southwest Florida,” he said. “And that’s important, especially in the offseason.”

Clarke said dining in the month of September also provides a boost during the slow time of the year, and has a ripple effect beyond just the restaurants.

“What a cool feeling to be able to know this is helping out so many,” Clarke said. “The dishwasher gets extra hours, the servers make extra money, the uniform company has to clean more uniforms, the linen company has to rent more linen for the tables because they’re being turned quicker. Even the boutiques benefit, because when you’re going out to dinner, you have to go out and get that dress. I don’t think a lot of people realize how much this helps the community beyond the surface.”

Clarke said that one restaurant told him that the Sizzle Dining event got their establishment out of the summer doldrums.

“It was like a mini-season for them,” Clarke said. “Their staff had to prepare like it was season, because so many people were coming through the door. It got their team ready to what’s coming when the busy season kicks off.”

The event even saw donations made to Blessings in a Backpack beyond tables in a restaurant. Blessings informed Clarke they received a $1,500 donation last week from an individual who told them they had gone to a few different Sizzle Dining locations, looked up what Blessings was all about, and wanted to support them.

“That’s such a cool feeling,” Clarke said.

Sizzle Dining began in 2016 as an 11-day dining event in Naples. Year after year, it has grown substantially due to the commitment of local restauranteurs and Sizzle’s founders, Guy and Erin Clarke. Each year, participating local restaurants create mouth-watering prix-fixe breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus that highlight their chefs’ impressive culinary skills. The menus are offered at affordable prices to encourage visitors to try a variety of local restaurants. This event helps drum up business for the local dining scene during one of the slowest months of the year in Southwest Florida.

“It’s been a run ride,” Clarke said of the biggest year ever for Sizzle when it comes to meals sold and participating restaurants. “We’re going to keep the number of restaurants around the same next year, and keep the focus on getting people to go out to eat to continue to get the numbers to grow.”

Plans are already underway for next year’s Sizzle Dining with even more restaurants expressing interest in participating and expanding on this year’s success. Save the dates for Sept. 1 to 30, 2026.

For more information on Sizzle Dining, visit SizzleDining.org.

For more information on Blessings in a Backpack, visit swfl.blessingsinabackpack.org.

To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com