Faranda’s Banquet Center in Dekalb is seeking local not for profit organizations to partner in their 2019 Lenten Fish Fry Series. The Fish Fries will be held at the Banquet center located at 302 Grove Street in Downtown DeKalb on the Seven Fridays around the season of Lent – The first Fish Fry being held Friday March 1 st and the Final Fish Fry being held Friday April 12 th .
Seating times for each meal are 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm each Friday. Each not for profit partner will receive a percentage of the sales as specified by dinner guests attending the dinner. Bill & Joy McMahon, owners of the banquet center, started a fish fry series in 2018 and donated 10% of the total sales to local non-profit organizations. Over 20 organizations benefitted from the McMahon’s Lenten tithing. Dinner Guests were invited to specify any non- profit organization they wanted to receive the proceeds from their dinner. Tallies were kept and after the last fish fry, checks were sent to each organization. Most of the organizations receiving the donations were local Church’s, but also the Dekalb County Non-profit Partnership and the Kishwaukee Sunrise Rotary were also among recipients. The largest beneficiary from the community partnership was Hope for Haitians which received a check for $900. Hope for Haitians is a 501(c)3 organization that works with area churches to bring clean water, food, housing, education and medical services to the poorest of the poor Haiti. All totaled, over $2000 was donated to local non-profits from Faranda’s Lenten fish fry tithing.
Faranda’s will be holding the weekly fish fry series again this year and the McMahon’s have decided to continue the tithing. Menus and tithing cards are being printed up. This year’s menu will include Fried Cod, Fried Haddock, Baked Cod, Shrimp Baskets, Fish & Shrimp Combo Meals, Chicken Tenders, Grilled Cheese and kid’s meals. Each dinner entrée and its side are served plated and guests will enjoy buffet service of fresh baked rolls & butter, homemade soups, salad bar, dessert bar with soft serve ice cream and toppings. Soft Drinks and Coffee are included with the dinner while beer, wine and cocktails are available for purchase. Popular items coming forward from last year’s menu include homemade clam chowder and white cheddar macaroni & cheese. Non-Profit partners who would like to be included in the printed tithing cards are asked to submit their information to the banquet center before Friday February 15 th . “It is easy to become a non-profit partner with Faranda’s for this series.” Bill McMahon reports. “We just need the name of your organization, a contact person, and an address to mail the check. Ideally, if possible, we would like non- profit partners to promote the dinners to their support base. People get a great meal out and a charity that is close to their hearts benefits in the process. It makes for a win-win situation for all parties involved!” For more information on becoming a non-profit partner with Faranda’s or more information on the Lenten Fish Fries and events at Faranda’s, visit www.farandas.com or call Shannon Peura at (815) 981-3304
Faranda’s Banquet Center is located at 302 Grove Street in downtown Dekalb. The McMahon Family, who also own The Lincoln Inn Family Restaurant in Downtown Dekalb, have been operating the banquet center since its inception in 2013. While the banquet center is primarily for meetings, wedding receptions and banquets, the McMahon Family and their team at Faranda’s have been hosting Friday Night Favorites on the first and third Friday of each month for the past year. Friday Night Favorites is a dinner series continuation of the Lenten Fish Fry with seasonal non-fish menu additions.
The meals have been well attended and continue to gain in popularity each month. The McMahon’s plan to continue the first and third Friday Night Favorites dinner series after Lent in 2019 and beyond.
Bill McMahon from Faranda’s Banquet Center presents Toni Heinze from The Newman Catholic Student Center with a check to Hope for Haitians. The contribution was part of Faranda’s 2018 Lenten Fish Fry Community Tithe. In total, over $2,000 was donated to local non-profits organizations in and around the DeKalb / Sycamore communities.
*Story provided by Bill McMahon with Lincoln Inn / Farandas