WILSHIRE CENTER : Sunday Brunches to Aid Churches

A new promotion by the Radisson Wilshire Plaza Hotel to drum up lunchtime business for its restaurant during noisy subway construction will also benefit Wilshire Center churches and nonprofit organizations.

The hotel’s Tulips Garden Restaurant offers a 10% discount coupon for its Sunday brunch to members of participating churches. At the end of each month, the hotel donates 10% of the members’ purchases back to the church.

“We look at it as a positive way to help keep the hotel afloat during Metro Rail construction while also giving something back to the community,” said Robert Mooney, the hotel’s director of public affairs.

The Sunday Brunch Community Discount Program began this month and so far includes St. Basil’s Catholic Church, Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Wilshire Christian Church and the First Congregational Church.

“I think it’s wonderful for them to take that kind of initiative,” said Linda Rees, administrator at Immanuel Presbyterian. “As a church we’re trying to find more ways to interact with the community and use our own facilities to the maximum. So it’s great to see (the hotel) also being very creative in helping themselves and the community.”