For the past two years we have had a very successful dinner called a "Taste of the Town". I contact many local restaurants explaining the wonderful event and who the event is for, and fortunately many have agreed to participate, for free!!! The first year we had as many as 16 restaurants including everything from gourmet lamb chops and seasoned shrimp, to different ethnic foods such as vegetarian lo mein, to meatball sandwiches, to the most delicious bread pudding.
The restaurants are asked to donate any item from their menu and are welcome to participate and serve in the event. The guests are served a small portion from any restaurant station. There are small plates provided at each station, staff and/or restaurant employees serve the volunteers. Volunteers can return to any station as many times as
they want.
As for decorating, we have used red and white checkered tablecloths and asked the staff to wear white aprons with a chef hat. We have also had a French theme with pastel colors and each server wears a scarf with their apron. All in all, everyone leaves very satisfied, including staff and the restaurant employees. After the event I always send a certificate of appreciation to the participating restaurants. The event does take some work, but has been well worth the effort.
Good Luck!