Taste of Mentor headlines chamber's fall lineup, connecting businesses across Lake County's largest city

Taste of Mentor, the Mentor Area Chamber of Commerce's signature food showcase, is set for Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, at Cater To You Catering Company, 7575 Bellflower Road. ERIEBANK is the presenting sponsor.

The event anchors a three-part fall calendar designed to draw together business operators from across a city that spans 27.80 square miles — the largest by land area in Lake County. From lakefront dining near Headlands Beach State Park to inland retail along the Mentor Avenue corridor and the Great Lakes Mall area, Mentor's commercial landscape is geographically sprawling enough that the businesses serving the same customer base can go months without crossing paths.

The chamber's fall programming aims to close that gap, starting in September.

September: a luncheon and glow golf

The lineup opens with the chamber's monthly luncheon, "What Successful Businesses Do Differently," on Monday, Sept. 21, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. The program will feature successful local restaurant owners discussing customer experience, hiring and retention, consistency, adapting to expectations, social media and reviews, and building repeat business.

Three days later, the fifth annual Glow Golf Tournament tees off Thursday, Sept. 24, at Black Brook Golf Course & Practice Center, 8900 Lake Shore Boulevard. Registration, a happy hour and dinner begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by nine holes of glow-in-the-dark golf on lit fairways at dusk. Foursome registration is $350 and includes golf, glow balls, dinner, drinks and late-night bites.

October: the main course

Taste of Mentor uses a multi-restaurant tasting format in which attendees sample dishes from participating restaurants and food vendors, then vote for favorites in categories such as appetizers, entrees and desserts. The 2025 edition featured 15 vendors, including Manhattan Deli, Aladdin's Eatery, Billy's A Capelli Martini Bar, Bibibop Asian Grill, Village Inn and Baker's Square, Ridgewood Kitchen & Spirits, Red Wine & Brew, Confectionary Cupboard and host venue Cater To You.

The format gives restaurants, caterers and food vendors from lakefront districts to inland corridors shared promotional visibility rather than leaving each to compete in isolation.

Tickets and details

Taste of Mentor tickets go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 10 a.m.. Individual tickets are $40; a reserved table of eight is $320.

The chamber's mission is to promote business and economic development for the enrichment of the Mentor community through resources, education and connectivity. Event details, registration and the full fall calendar are available at mentorchamber.org. The chamber office, at 6990 Spinach Drive, can be reached at 440-255-1616 or [email protected].

Taken together, the September luncheon, Glow Golf Tournament and October showcase amount to more than a string of social outings. They are the connective programming that binds a geographically dispersed business community — nearly 28 square miles of it — into a shared civic calendar.