The City of Arlington, Texas, has received the 2025 Municipal Excellence Award in City Spirit from the Texas Municipal League. The award recognizes the city’s partnership with Taste Project, which resulted in the opening of the Taste Community Restaurant in March 2025. The restaurant operates on a pay-what-you-can model and aims to address food insecurity in Arlington’s under-resourced neighborhoods.
The restaurant is located near three of Arlington’s largest food deserts. It serves chef-prepared, seasonal meals without set prices. Guests receive a check with blank lines and can pay what they can, what they would normally pay, or more to support others. In its first six months, the restaurant served over 10,000 meals, with nearly half provided to people in need.
The project was supported by a $1-per-year lease of a city-owned building, approved by the Arlington City Council, and a $750,000 grant from the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation. Additional public and private contributions raised over $3 million for the restaurant’s launch. Volunteers and diners continue to support the initiative, helping to provide access to healthy food and a community space…