With a plethora of restaurants and shops lining every block, Commonwealth Avenue has no shortage of options where students can spend their time and money. One of these options, Love Art Udon, works with all kinds of student organizations at Boston University to put the groups’ names out there.
Love Art Udon, which opened last November at 1024 Commonwealth Ave. and is known for its Japanese-inspired udon noodle bowls, has become one of the most popular venues for student groups to host their fundraisers, said Ronald Liu, one of the restaurant’s founders.
“We really wanted to bring something unique to our restaurant,” Liu said. “Food is evolving right now, and there’s a clash of traditional and new. My partner and I are both Asian Americans, so we’re trying to take what’s been culturally historic and combining it with us growing up here, and sort of using art as the medium.”
Once a college student himself at the University of Connecticut, Liu said he recognized the importance of working with different student groups on campus as a way to engage the community around his business.
“I was really active at my university between different student organizations and working with
student government,” Liu said. “I really feel like student organizations are a great way to engage with different cultures and communities.”
According to Liu, many of the partnerships Love Art Udon forms come from word of mouth and the presence of student employees. He noted they also have a marketing director and an online form available on their website for anyone looking to fundraise with the restaurant.
Margaret Hauck, a junior at in the College of Arts and Sciences, organized a fundraiser with Love Art Udon for BU’s Kappa Alpha Theta chapter to raise money for Boston’s Court Appointed Special Advocates.
Hauck said she decided to host the fundraiser at Love Art Udon after a fellow member of KAO, who is an employee at the restaurant, suggested the place and said it welcomed hosting events and fundraisers for local organizations.
In total, Love Art Udon and Theta raised $115 for CASA.
“They were super friendly and easy to work with,” Hauck said, of her experience working with Love Art Udon. “I would definitely work with them again.”
Hauck said she thinks the opportunity for local businesses to work with philanthropies is important and beneficial, not just for the community but also the business itself.
“It shows that they care about the community and not just their own business, and it gives them an opportunity to connect with the different causes that are important to people in Boston,” she said. “And I think people are more inclined to go to a business that does philanthropy and charity work.”
Catherine Mao, a freshman in the College of Communication, said she was already a customer at Love Art Udon before the KAO fundraiser and was more than happy to go support her group’s philanthropy. She said the fundraisers are easily accessible to many students because the restaurant is located close to BU’s West Campus.
“It’s a good place to have fundraisers,” Mau said. “Their food is really good first of all, and it’s quick and easy in terms of food preparation, so it doesn’t take a lot of time for students to get.”
Love Art Udon plans to continue hosting as many fundraisers as possible and engage with the college community around them, Liu said.
“A reciprocal relationship with the community makes everything better,” he said. “People want to be a part of it, so we’re always looking for ways to try to give back.”
Well written article A.