TORONTO, Feb. 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MR MIKES SteakhouseCasual (MR MIKES) is proud to announce a significant fundraising milestone: together with its guests, franchise owners, and restaurant teams, MR MIKES has raised over $100,000 to support Make Happy Tummies™, an initiative that brings restaurants, grocery stores, companies and individual donors together to help nourish 1 in 3 children in Canada who arrive at school hungry1 through local breakfast programs across Canada together to ensure children start their day nourished and ready to learn.
This fundraising milestone—achieved through featured menus and in-restaurant fundraising that began in September 2024—will help provide 50,000 nutritious meals to children at 54 local schools, ensuring students start the day nourished and ready to learn.
Every dollar donated to Make Happy Tummies™ through MR MIKES, now and in the future, directly supports local breakfast programs in the communities where the funds are raised. MR MIKES remains committed to the initiative, with additional featured fundraising menus planned throughout 2026.
To build on this momentum, MR MIKES and Make Happy Tummies™ will launch a like-and-share social media campaign from February 17 to February 23. The campaign will result in two $1,000 donations to local breakfast programs in a MR MIKES Community. Canadians are encouraged to follow @MrMikesOnline and @MakeHappyTummies on social media for full campaign details, including how to participate.
“MR MIKES was established in 1960. Then and today, we pride ourselves on great food shared with friends and family—a place to be social, enjoy each other’s company, and experience small-town Canadiana on a grander scale,” says Darian Bateson, Senior Marketing Manager, MR MIKES SteakhouseCasual. “That ‘grander scale’ includes the impact we strive to have in our local communities. We are incredibly grateful to our guests and our teams across 50 restaurant locations, whose passion will help nourish thousands of students—supporting children as they start their day ready to learn.”
“For hungry children, every nutritious breakfast matters,” says Simon Small, Executive Director, The Grocery Foundation. “Each meal supports academic success as well as physical and emotional well-being. This milestone shows what’s possible when organizations come together with a shared purpose. Partnerships like this create immediate and lasting impact—reaching children every school day at a critical moment in their development and creating benefits that extend far beyond the classroom.”
ABOUT THE GROCERY FOUNDATION
Founded in 1979, The Grocery Foundation supports organizations that provide healthy food to school-age children in need, promoting the physical and emotional well-being of millions of children across Canada. The Foundation unites retailers, manufacturers, and industry partners to advance its vision: no hungry children at school and ensuring all students have access to nutritious foods.
Key initiatives include the annual Night to Nurture Gala, the Make Happy Tummies™ fundraising platform, and a Voucher Program that delivers significant savings to student nutrition programs. Since 2017, the Foundation has enabled over 17.9 million meals and provided savings exceeding $7.5 million. The Foundation also supports leading e-mental health services through collaborations with Kids Help Phone.
ABOUT MR MIKES
MR MIKES is a proud Canadian company, established in 1960. It is the place to come with good friends for great steaks and even better times. The MR MIKES brand is known and loved for its irreverent, comfortable, and nonpretentious steakhouse experience that resonates with Canadians for great food, affordable indulgences, and unique style. MR MIKES SteakhouseCasual currently operates 50 locations across Canada and plans to continue the brand’s expansion with the opening of an anticipated 50+ locations over the next five years.
For more information, contact: Gabby Nobrega
[email protected]
416.930.9756
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/62e42ed0-dd6f-432e-a16f-63797c9ef068
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2012d1c0-5e45-45eb-a139-d9370fba04a1
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7759280f-5b5d-462d-b0c9-c1c6d14eff92
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9960a475-8a5b-4dec-a9f1-d7e6626b76a5
A video accompanying this announcement is available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0ccebf21-4cf2-4b8b-be6a-c780b69ae9c3