Answers to common questions about the specialty plate, the bill, restaurant grants, and how the nonprofit works.
Foodies of TN is a Tennessee 501(c)(3) nonprofit creating a specialty license plate that will fund grants for independently owned restaurants across the state.
Yes. HB 1751 was signed into law by Governor Bill Lee on April 27, 2026, after passing the Senate (as SB 1477) on March 9, 2026 and the House on April 6, 2026. The official plate design by Norris Hall has also been approved by the State of Tennessee. The final step before production is collecting 1,000 pre-order signatures. You can follow the latest status on our bill status page.
Reserve it on the plate page. Tennessee requires 1,000 pre-orders before a specialty plate can move into production.
Tennessee artist Norris Hall of Norris Hall Studio, who also designed the Cool Cat and Arts Fish specialty plates for the Tennessee Arts Commission, donated his time to design the official Foodies of TN plate. The State of Tennessee has approved the design. See it on the plate page.
Yes. Foodies of TN, Inc received IRS approval as a 501(c)(3) public charity on November 19, 2025. EIN: 41-2695495.
Foodies of TN plans to use net plate revenue to fund grants for independently owned Tennessee restaurants. We also commit to publishing annual summaries so supporters can see how funds were used. More detail is on the impact and transparency page.
Yes. The grant program is not open yet, but you can already suggest a restaurant here so it is part of the review pool once applications begin.
Yes. The design by Norris Hall is final and has been approved by the State of Tennessee, so we are no longer accepting designer applications. Learn more on the plate design page.
