Gigi's expands and starts new program to benefit nonprofits

Gigi's owners Jim and Gia Patsch in front of the new addition to their restaurant.

Gigi’s on Fairmount, a restaurant located in the Fairmount Taylor Business District in Cleveland Heights, has started a new program to benefit area nonprofit organizations. Called Magnificent Mondays, the program kicked off in July and has raised more than $1,300.

Each month, the restaurant selects a beneficiary for the program. Then, every Monday of that month, Gigi’s donates 10 percent of its gross sales to the organization.

“We’ve been so overwhelmed by the support of the community that we were looking for a way to give back,” said Gia Patsch, who came up with the idea and who owns the restaurant with her husband, Jim.

"Instead of giving a $25 gift card, we can give these organizations a check for much more money,” Jim Patsch said.

The first beneficiary of the program was Ten Thousand Villages, a group that creates opportunities for artists in developing countries. Gigi’s raised $250 in July for the organization.

Other beneficiaries include the Hope for Honduran Children Foundation, an organization that helps provide a nurturing environment for children ravaged by extreme poverty in Central America; Bright Pink, a group that raises awareness about breast cancer; and the Effective Leadership Academy, an organization that creates after-school programs to teach students life skills.

The November beneficiary will be FutureHeights, the organization that publishes the Heights Observer and undertakes community-building programs in the Heights. The December beneficiary will be Roots of American Music, a Cleveland Heights-based group that brings local musicians into schools across Northeast Ohio and teaches students about music and other subjects. As part of the program, Roots of American Music will provide live music on Monday nights in December.

The Patsches encourage beneficiaries to have friends and associates dine at Gigi’s on Mondays to increase the amount of money raised.

Gigi’s is currently expanding into the adjacent storefront previously occupied by duoHome.The new addition, Gigi’s After Dark, will have a limited food menu, but it will offer before- and after-dinner drinks for Gigi’s patrons. It will also be a space for private parties, live music and wine tastings.

“It will be more like a South Beach/Miami hotel bar,” Jim Patsch said.

Gigi’s After Dark will be open from 7–11 p.m. on weeknights and 7 p.m. to midnight on weekends. The Patsches expect the new addition to open by Dec. 1.