We are now officially in Pride month! Restaurants and food establishments across the country are gearing up for celebrations through the entire month of June. They’re preparing the most incredible dishes, desserts, and drinks to celebrate.
The hospitality industry is embracing the month with culinary creativity that is nothing short of fantastic. From special cocktails to cakes to main dishes, the rainbow of pride food can inspire any culinary enthusiast. Portions of sales from many items benefit various LGBTQ+ organizations, making the food all the sweeter.
Following are just a few of the top culinary experiences and menu items we’ve found that are perfect for celebrating Pride Month, along with some restaurants around the country that are getting it right.
By Chloe Cupcakes in Boston
By Chloe is a restaurant on Van Ness Street in Boston (among other locations). This restaurant celebrates Pride Month by offering rainbow menu items like vegan (and incredibly tasty) funfetti Pride cupcakes loaded with rainbow sprinkles atop vanilla icing.
The restaurant donates 50% of the sales from these cupcakes to the Happy Hippie Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Miley Cyrus that supports homeless youth with a focus on the LGBTQ community.
The Brunch: NYC Pride
The Brunch comes to New York City this year as a culinary experience offering a four-hour open bar, cuisine created by six talented black LGBTQ+ chefs, a selection of food stories, and more. It’s curated and hosted by Chef Sicily Sierra and is an annual event that celebrates the impact that businesses have on LGBTQ+ communities.
As an immersive experience for all who attend, this food event offers opportunities to connect with community members, live performances, cocktail stations, an awards ceremony, and much more.
Related: Successful Food and Beverage LTOs for LGBTQ+ Pride Month
The Queen Bee Cocktail by The Godfrey Hotel
If you’re looking to celebrate Pride with a drink in hand, we’ve got one for you: The Queen Bee. This cocktail was created by the general manager of RUKA, a restaurant adjacent to the Godfrey Hotel in Boston. It’s a refreshing drink that features dark rum with St. Germain liqueur, lemon, basil, and hints of strawberry.
Sales from The Queen Bee have benefited Bagly, a service organization that provides leadership development, safe spaces, healthcare clinics, and more to LGBTQ+ youth in Boston.
The Bandera Cocktail
The Bandera cocktail tastes as good as it looks! First premiering in Los Angeles at the Hotel Figueroa’s restaurant, Veranda Al Fresco, this rainbow-layered drink has been served with overwhelming success poolside at the elite hotel.
To make the Bandera cocktail even sweeter, as people celebrated love during the month of June last year, a portion of the proceeds from sales of the drink went to benefit the LGBTQ National Help Center.
Pride Sundaes and Lumache Pasta
At Pasta Louise in Brooklyn, there are two menu items that honor Pride Month: lumache pasta shaped like little rainbows and a gorgeous ice cream sundae with cake bites and rainbow sprinkles on top.
One dollar from each of these items is donated to the Ali Forney Center, which is set up to empower LGBTQ+ youth with life skills and provide shelter to those who are homeless.
Saint Arnold Brewing Company
In Houston, TX, the Saint Arnold Brewing Company made a huge splash with rainbow cupcakes unlike any you’d ever seen during Pride Month last year. Inspiration is not in short supply here, and proceeds from the sales of the beautiful treats went to the Outlet Project Inc., a Houston organization dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community.
From cupcakes to cocktails and everything in between, restaurants are serving up some of the prettiest menu items across the country and helping the LGBTQ+ community in the process.
Stay in the loop with our Seasonality Initiatives & Trends, Subscribe to our weekly Newsletter here!
