Arlington Honored With Municipal Excellence Award for Taste Project
The City of Arlington is receiving statewide recognition for an innovative partnership with Taste Project—an innovation that’s redefining how communities can come together to fight food insecurity. Through its collaboration to establish Taste Community Restaurant in Arlington, the City has been awarded the 2025 Municipal Excellence Award in City Spirit from the Texas Municipal League.
The award highlights the City’s partnership with Taste Project and the community’s efforts to bring a pay-what-you-can, full-service restaurant to the heart of Arlington. Opened in March 2025, Taste Community Restaurant in Arlington is more than a place to eat — it’s a welcoming space where neighbors can gather, share a meal, and support one another.
Located near three ZIP codes identified as Arlington’s largest food deserts, the restaurant is part of a larger community strategy to make healthy, locally sourced meals more accessible. Guests order from a seasonal chef-prepared menu and receive a check showing everything ordered, but instead of prices, there are blank lines. Guests can choose to pay what you can, pay what you would typically pay, or pay a little extra to help someone a neighbor in need. Since opening six months ago, Taste Community Restaurant in Arlington has served over 10,000 meals, with nearly half served to neighbors in need.
The Arlington City Council approved the use of a vacant City-owned building to house the restaurant through a $1-per-year lease agreement, and the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation provided a $750,000 gift to jump-start construction and fundraising for the project. With additional generous public and private partners, Taste Project successfully raised more than $3 million to build out and launch the restaurant. Today, the community remains deeply engaged—volunteers work to serve guests while diners who can give a little extra help ensure everyone in Arlington has a seat at the table.
“The partnership with the City of Arlington and the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation made it possible for Taste Project to bring our pay-what-you-can restaurant model to this community. Their investment—along with the incredible generosity of local donors and volunteers—transformed a vision for an old water utility building into a thriving place where everyone can eat, give back, and belong. Arlington’s investment didn’t just build a restaurant—it built a community table where everyone is welcome, and everyone can contribute,” said Jeff Williams, Founder and Executive Director of Taste Project.
The project also focuses on job training and economic mobility. In partnership with Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, the restaurant offers paid culinary apprenticeships for residents facing employment barriers. Its location near University of Texas at Arlington also creates opportunities for hospitality management students to gain hands-on experience through a teaching lab and classroom space.
“Taste Project’s decision to expand into Arlington is a perfect fit for our community. With its location in the heart of two of our most under-resourced ZIP codes, Taste Project provides access to healthy meals and a welcoming space for neighbors who need it most,” said Arlington Tomorrow Foundation Executive Director Carolyn Mentesana. “We’re proud to support this effort and grateful to the City Council for helping make it possible through a long-term, low-cost lease and building improvements. This project reflects our shared commitment to addressing food insecurity and strengthening our community.”
Texas Municipal League’s Municipal Excellence Awards celebrate the best efforts in local government in five categories: City Spirit, Public Safety, Communications Programs, Management Innovations and Public Works. In addition to the partnership with Taste Project, the Arlington Police Department’s drone program was also named a finalist in the Public Safety category.
“This partnership reflects the very best of what our city can accomplish when we come together with local nonprofits and residents to meet community needs,” said Arlington Mayor Jim Ross. “Taste Community Restaurant has quickly become a symbol of compassion, dignity, and innovation—values that make Arlington The American Dream City.”
The City of Arlington and Taste Project continue to collaborate on long-term strategies to address hunger, workforce development, and community health—making Arlington a model for how public-private partnerships can transform lives.
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About Taste Project
Taste Project is a 501(c)3 non-profit established to feed, educate, and serve our community so they may “…taste and see the Lord is good.” Psalm 34:8. We believe everyone should have access to healthy nutritious food. Our vision is to see our community become the solution to the challenges our community faces as it relates to hunger. Our first project, Taste Community Restaurant at 1200 South Main Street in Fort Worth, focuses on healthy, quality meals made from fresh ingredients. Our menu has no prices. This is a give-and-take concept. We ask guests to do one of the following: 1) pay what you can afford, 2) pay what you would typically pay, or 3) pay what you would typically pay, plus a little extra. In March 2025, Taste Project opened its second Taste Community Restaurant location at 200 North Cooper Street in Arlington. To learn more, visit us at www.tasteproject.org or find us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
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