Source, Main Line Today, Melissa Jacobs

Haven’t yet experienced King of Prussia’s restaurant renaissance? From March 11-17, 33 fine dining restaurants and 11 fast casual ones will offer prix fixe menus and other specials as part of King of Prussia Restaurant Week. The event—now in its 5^th year—raises funds for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Specialty Care and Surgery Center in King of Prussia.

“In the past four years, we raised $58,000 for CHOP and last year alone we donated $21,000,” says Rachel Ammon, director of marketing and communications of the King of Prussia District. “This year, our goal is $30,000 and I’m confident that we’ll hit that because more restaurants are participating than ever before.”

Those funds benefit healthcare for children like 6-year old Emily Garrett of Glen Mills. Born prematurely because a tumor on her tailbone hemorrhaged, Garrett spent the first 34 days of her life in the neonatal intensive unit at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in University City. “The tumor weighed almost two pounds, which was one-third of Emily’s birth weight,” says her mother, Eleanor Garrett. Surgeons successfully removed the tumor, but Garrett still requires surveillance blood tests at CHOP’s King of Prussia outpost.

Participants in this year’s restaurant week will offer a variety of special lunch and dinner menus, while others will donate a portion of proceeds on certain days. Restaurants include Eddie V’s, Mistral, Savona, Founding Farmers, True Food Kitchen and Davio’s, to name a few. Casual restaurants like Shake Shack, the Halal Guys, District Taco and Choolaah are also participating in restaurant week.

In addition to the dining component, 28 King of Prussia stores will take part in the second KOP Shops for CHOP. Touché Accessories, Paula Hian, Lily Pulitzer, Kendra Scott, Ted Baker and other boutiques will hold special events and donate 10-25 percent of sales to CHOP on select days.

“There’s always a lot going on in King of Prussia, but this week is extra special because our community is coming together to support CHOP,” Ammon says. “We are tremendously lucky to have such a great medical resource in our neighborhood.”