News Release
Office of the Pierce County Council
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 8, 2022
Members of the Pierce County Council were saddened to learn of the death of Sue Kidd, a longtime food writer/restaurant critic for The News Tribune, King County Journal and founder of “Dine Pierce County”, a website dedicated to Pierce County’s local restaurant scene.
During the COVID-19 pandemic Kidd used her relationships with restaurant owners and chefs to not only help encourage Pierce County residents to support local restaurants during the shutdown, but to also promote Pierce County’s Restaurant Rally.
Council created the Restaurant Rally program, funded with CARES Act money, to encourage people to visit Pierce County restaurants. During a two-week period, diners received a discount at participating restaurants, and restaurants were reimbursed 100% by the county for sales during that period. The goal was to return people to work at a time when restaurants were shuttered or operating on limited hours.
Not only did Kidd provide information on her Dine Pierce County website about the program, but she went above and beyond by reaching out to restaurant owners and businesses to make sure they knew about it and encouraged them to apply. She dedicated a section of her website to the program and developed promotional materials to spread the word.
This commitment and drive to support Pierce County’s restaurant industry exemplifies who Kidd was. She championed for all and wanted to see small business succeed. Even after leaving print journalism, Kidd remained committed to her craft of food writing. She developed Dine Pierce County while working full time for the city of Fife. She was an encyclopedia when it came to Pierce County restaurants and shared her knowledge through a well-documented database on her website and social media accounts.
As she noted in a recent blog post: “I love writing about the scrappy underdog.” She always did that writing with the highest ethical standards.
Her impact on Pierce County is evident in the outpouring of response from restaurants and diners who were shocked to learn of her unexpected passing. On Friday, March 4, 2022 restaurants across the county came together with an impromptu recognition for Kidd, taking to social media to share images of place settings at tables and bar tops with “reserved for Sue Kidd” placards.
As Council takes time to recognize the accomplishments and impacts Kidd had on our dining community, people are asked to honor her memory by supporting local business – order carryout from your favorite spot, sit down for a drink with friends and enjoy a good laugh, and always remember to support your food service workers.
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