Taste of Pride

January 30th – July 31st, 2025

Select locations throughout the National Capital Region.

Welcome to Taste of Pride 2025

Get ready to embark on a delectable culinary journey like never before during our highly anticipated Taste of Pride! From January 30th through July 31st, we’re bringing you an exquisite celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and dining flavors in the National Capital Region. Your talented chefs and amazing restaurants will curate exceptional menus that showcase the best of their culinary artistry.

Taste of Pride (ToP) is an annual multi-tiered event series celebrating the rich connection between the LGBTQ+ and culinary communities. This year’s program will feature a multi-month collaboration between DC’s Business Improvement Districts (BIDS) that showcase the distinctive flavors and culinary talents within these vibrant neighborhoods.

Taste of Pride aims to blend the culinary artistry of our city with the pride and diversity that define our community, paving the way for a vibrant WorldPride celebration.

Your participation in this culinary experience will raise money for the Pride365 Fund and support LGBTQ+ organizations in our community.

**Registration deadline is determined by the BID**

Learn more about the fund at www.pride365.org/fund.

Tiers of Participation

PARTICIPATION BENEFITS	ALLY $250 Donation	ADVOCATE $1000 Donation	LEADER $2,500 Donation	CHANGEMAKER $10,000 Donation
Enhanced Marketing Support through partners: Restaurant Assoc. Destination DC, Mayor’s Office on LGBTQ Affairs, Mayor’s Office on Nightlife & Culture
Taste of Pride Website Listing				Enhanced
Inclusion in World PRIDE App				Enhanced
Taste of Pride Newsletter Inclusion				Enhanced
Inclusion on Bandwango.com				Enhanced
Enhanced Marketing Support through partners: Restaurant Assoc. Destination DC, Mayor’s Office on LGBTQ Affairs, Mayor’s Office on Nightlife & Culture
Receive Safe Space Training Certification
Inclusion in Press Release (Mention) (Registration deadline in accordance with BID statement)		2 Inclusions	2 Inclusions	Customized
Dedicated Social Media Post Incl. Facebook, Instagram and X		2 Post	3 Post	4 Post
Discounts for a two-day festival booth			50% Discount	Complimentary
Inclusion in Press Release (Mention) (Registration deadline in accordance to BID statement)		2 Inclusions	2 Inclusions	Customized
Inclusion in publications (i.e., Metro Weekly, Popville, Eater)
Inclusion in Morning Talk Shows
Cooking with Capital Pride IG Live
Listing as a “Bronze Advocate” on Capital Pride Website

How do I register my restaurant for Taste of Pride?

To register for Taste of Pride, your restaurant must be able to legally conduct business in the Metropolitan Washington DC area. Registrations are accepted via the Capital Pride Alliance online enrollment portal.

Step 1: Go to https://capitalpride.my.site.com/Community/s/login/

Step 2: Create a Pride365 Account

Step 3: Login Into your Pride365 Account

Step 4: Select Taste of Pride Portal

Step 5: Complete the registration application

Business Improvement Districts

Taste of Pride Participation Requirements

All participating restaurants agree to participate during the period designated by their BID.
All participating restaurants agree to donate at one of the participation tiers listed above.
All Participating restaurants must register by the date designated by their BID.
All participating restaurants, through in-house marketing assets, tabletop signs, QR codes, and point of sale services should encourage patrons to donate to the PRIDE365 Fund.
All participating restaurants MUST display a CPA sticker to show support for the LGBTQ community. Stickers will be provided by the Capital Pride Alliance.
All participating restaurants are encouraged to complete the post-Taste of Pride survey to provide feedback on the event.
All participating restaurants are encouraged to develop appropriate LGBTQ+ programming (i.e., Drag show, poetry reading, performing arts).
All Participating restaurants are encouraged to add Pride décor to enhance their Taste of Pride.
All participating restaurants can enhance their donation by pledging to provide 5-10% of the net sales for their participation timeframe or by providing gift certificates, additional specials, or giveaways for additional marketing opportunities.

Taste of Pride FAQs

How do I register my restaurant for Taste of Pride?
To register for Taste of Pride, your restaurant must be able to legally conduct business in the Metropolitan Washington DC area. Registrations are accepted via the Capital Pride Alliance online enrollment portal.

I have more than one restaurant. Do each of my restaurants have to register separately to participate?

Yes. All restaurants receive benefits, so each participating restaurant must register individually at the Ally, Leader or Changemaker level. If you register at the Changemaker level ($10,000), you may have up to five separate locations/restaurants.

Do I have to pay the fee twice if I have more than one restaurant with the same name in different locations?

Yes, if you register at the Ally, Advocate, Leader or Changemaker level, each restaurant will be listed individually and included in promotional material as a separate restaurant. If you register at the Changemaker level ($10,000), you may have five separate locations/restaurants participating.

Does my restaurant have to participate for their entire designated timeframe of Taste of Pride?

Yes. All participating restaurants are required to offer their Taste of Pride menu for the selected service during all regular operating days, for the full length of their designated timeframe. Restaurants that opt to offer a Taste of Pride brunch service can choose from Saturday only, Sunday only, or both days.

Do I have to offer brunch/lunch at $30.00 or dinner at $40.00/$55.00?

NO. It’s up to you to decide what is offered on your Taste of Pride menu

Can I include a cocktail or glass of wine in the fixed price?

Yes, restaurants can include beer, wine, cocktails, or any other beverage within your Taste of Pride offer.

You also have the choice to offer cocktail or wine pairings as an add-on to your Taste of Pride menu. You can indicate if you are offering pairings, which are not included in the prix-fixe pricing while registering your location.

Can I offer “upsell” items to the fixed price menu to increase the check price?

Yes. Your restaurant may offer menu “upgrades” at an additional cost. That is, you could offer the Taste of Pride menu option for $30.00 (lunch/brunch) or $40.00 or $55.00 (dinner) and then, at the table side, offer the customer the option to add shrimp for $5 or lobster for $10, for example.

What menu do I have to offer customers?

It’s up to you to decide what is offered on your Taste of Pride menu. Many participants offer a special menu or include their full menu as part of the event. Whatever you decide to do, Taste of Pride looks for something special at your restaurant during the event. Be sure to create/offer a menu that will showcase your restaurant.

Do I have to send my Taste of Pride menu to CPA?

Yes. Participants can send their menus to [email protected]. Each cycle, we plan a date for the reveal of the menus along with an announcement to the public. Please note that potential diners often look at the menu offerings on the Taste of Pride site before booking their reservation.

Can I include the Taste of Pride logo on my website and in event pieces?

Yes. All participants will receive the Taste of Pride marketing Tool-Kit inclusive of the official Taste of Pride logo, canned social media messages and customizable templates for your use in promoting your restaurant for the event. You may also email [email protected] to request the logo.

What will my donation to Taste of Pride support?

All donations at every level will support the Pride365 Fund. Contributions to the Pride365 Fund WorldPride 2025 and help to provide direct financial support to local community organizations for programs that celebrate and enrich lives of members of the LGBTQ+ community; expand access to programs, events, and activities to ensure inclusivity; and promote events and programs that provide visibility and elevate the voices of the LGBTQ+ community.

As we get closer to celebrating 50 years of Pride in the Nation’s Capital and WorldPride Washington, DC in 2025, your support will help to ensure we can continue to gather at events like the annual Capital Pride Parade, Pride Festival, and Concert, and keep them free to attend. In addition, your donations will help to support new and expanded events that will enhance the WorldPride Washington, DC experience. GivePride365 – Pride365

For more information, please contact: Brandon Bayton at [email protected].

About the Capital Pride Alliance

The Capital Pride Alliance, through its stewardship of diverse programming and events, specifically year-round LGBTQ+ Pride festivities centered in Washington, DC, and the National Capital Region, serves to celebrate, educate, support, and inspire our multi-faceted communities to grow and preserve our history and protect our rights for current and future generations.

The Capital Pride Alliance (CPA), located in Washington, DC, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the needs of the LGBTQ+ community all year long, through educational programs, major events, fundraising, outreach, and advocacy, providing platforms for visibility, and supporting the work of our many community organizations and local businesses.

About the PRIDE365 Fund

We believe that Pride is more than any single event, it’s a commitment that we make 365 days a year. Contributions* to the Pride365 Fund help to provide direct financial support to local community organizations for programs that celebrate and enrich lives of members of the LGBTQ+ community; expand access to programs, events, and activities to ensure inclusivity; and promote events and programs that provide visibility and elevate the voices of the LGBTQ+ community.

As we get closer to celebrating 50 years of Pride in the Nation’s Capital and WorldPride Washington, DC in 2025, your support will help to ensure we can continue to gather at events like the annual Capital Pride Parade, Pride Festival, and Concert, and keep them free to attend. In addition, your donations will help to support new and expanded events that will enhance the WorldPride Washington, DC experience. *Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by the law.

Established in 2021, the Pride365 Fund is the Capital Pride Alliance’s answer to the ever-increasing need for financial support amongst LGBTQ+ organizations in the National Capital Region. Nearly 10 percent of residents in the Nation’s capital identify as LGBTQ+, yet local LGBTQ+ organizations often lack equitable access to taxpayer funded initiatives, government and private grants, and other important opportunities that enable non-profit organizations to provide critical services to their fullest extent. Facilitated by the Capital Pride Alliance, the Fund awards financial resources to 501(c)(3) organizations that demonstrate a commitment to the LGBTQ+ community 365 days a year.

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