It’s Cross-Continental Dining Without Leaving Town: Seattle’s Most Diverse Restaurant Promotion Week is Back and Bigger Than Ever in 2024!
13th Plate of Nations highlights the unmatched diversity of the Southeast Seattle food scene.
Between March 22 and April 7, Seattle foodies can embark on a two-week culinary world tour without leaving the city, as HomeSight’s Plate of Nations returns for its 13th year of celebrating southeast Seattle’s diverse culinary scene.
The event, the most diverse of its kind in Seattle, features 50 independently owned restaurants and highlights the incredible cultural diversity in southeast Seattle, particularly along the Martin Luther King, Jr. corridor. Immigrants from around the world have settled in Rainier Valley and started businesses that provide cultural favorites for ethnic communities looking for a taste of home. Those restaurant owners are excited to welcome other customers to join in their traditions.
Participating restaurants span the globe from Laos to Ethiopia, and will offer special menu items, giveaways and prizes over the 12-day event. Customers can download a “passport” from the Plate of Nations website (or pick one up at any participating restaurant) to record their culinary trip around the world. When a diner reaches eight passport stamps, they win one of four prizes, including a private dining experience at one of our participating restaurants, and a secret recipe with ingredients to make it.
The event was conceived in 2011 by former Salima owner Asari Mohamath, a Cham Muslim refugee from Vietnam. HomeSight – a nonprofit catalyst for equitable homeownership and community development in southeast Seattle – has organized Plate of Nations since its inception.
“Southeast Seattle is so unique,” said HomeSight’s Community Development Director Sarah Valenta. “You can walk down the street and hear dozens of languages spoken. With so many cultures represented here, our food scene has choices from all over the world, and it’s all as authentic as you can possibly get.”
Participating restaurants include neighborhood favorites as well as brand-new establishments. They include Bananas Grill, Habesha Cafe, Thien Phat, The Original Philly’s, Café Bistro, Othello Wok Teriyaki, Emma’s BBQ, The Comfort Zone, Royal Cafe, Buddha Bruddah, El Quetzal, and many more.
Sponsored and managed by HomeSight, Plate of Nations is co-sponsored by the Martin Luther King Business Association, Amazon, the Seattle Office of Economic Development and Essential Southeast Seattle.
“Plate of Nations has a significant economic impact on these small businesses,” said Valenta. “Last year’s participants saw receipts increase by 5%-25% during Plate of Nations, introduced thousands of new customers and drew diners from all over the region. It can be challenging for small businesses, a lot of which are owned by first-generation immigrants, to get the word out, and Plate of Nations helps these businesses reach further into the communities they serve. What we hear most often from diners is they are pleasantly surprised that southeast Seattle has so much to offer.”
About HomeSight
Since 1990, HomeSight, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Community Development Corporation (CDC), has worked to preserve and promote economically and culturally diverse communities through affordable homeownership, business development and community advocacy. HomeSight believes communities can only be strong, vibrant, and equitable if homeownership is attainable, cultural anchors can thrive in place, small businesses have access to the knowledge and tools to excel in changing markets, and prosperity is built and shared among all members of each unique community.
