RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Duke’s Hot Tomato Summer will be returning this year for the sequel. After the success of last year’s event, they’re inviting their hometown Greenville, S.C., to join in too.
Hot Tomato Summer is a weeklong celebration serving mayo and tomato dishes in partnership with local restaurants across the Richmond area. This year, the event will run from Monday, July 18, to Sunday, July 24.
Conceived during the pandemic, the idea behind the event was to lend support to local restaurants as they prepared to reopen and bounce back. The event’s success inspired the organizers to bring it back again this year and make it even bigger; over 70 total restaurants will be participating in both cities.
Each restaurant partner will put their own spin on the mayo and tomato duo to create custom specials that will be available throughout the week in addition to their regular menus.
“When we launched Hot Tomato Summer last year, we wanted to remind everyone of the talent, creativity, and flavors only found in the South,” said Rebecca Lupesco, Duke’s Brand Manager of Mayohem. “But the dishes truly blew us away, ranging from mayo ice cream to tomato pie, seafood salad, and more. We can’t wait to see what bold and exciting flavors are on the table this year.”
In honor of the event, Duke’s and Sauer Brands will be collectively donating $20,000 to help support Shalom Farms and Mill Village Garden. Shalom Farms is a nonprofit organization focused on providing equitable access to fresh produce. And with a similar mission, Mill Village Farms is working to redevelop vacant properties in Greenville’s historic mill communities and working to grow food for the surrounding area.
For more information on participating restaurants and specific offerings, you can visit the website here.
