Little Italy\u2019s New Zealand-inspired restaurant housed in a 1905 Craftsman style home will be welcoming spring this year with a little help from nearby Washington Elementary School students.<\/p>\n
Queenstown Public House is pairing with the magnet school\u2019s STEAM \u2014 science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics \u2014 program for a competition in which students will design unique flower planters to raise funds for the school\u2019s music department.<\/p>\n
All proceeds raised by the planters will be matched by Queenstown Public House and donated to buy musical instruments for the school.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to create a way to give back to the kids in our community and this fun and educational competition for the Washington Elementary School students is a perfect way to do that,\u201d said Darren Roach, owner of Queenstown Public House, in a press release. \u201cOur spring flower house project will give the students in our neighborhood the opportunity to display the work they complete in school for the whole community to enjoy \u2014 while also making an impact on their music program.\u201d<\/p>\n The quirky restaurant, whose motto is \u201cThere\u2019s no place like home,\u201d is no stranger to seasonal decorations. Queenstown Public House earned a lot of local attention last December for its transformation into a gingerbread house to celebrate the holidays.<\/p>\n This spring, the staff is determined to top that.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone remembers when they were younger \u2014 their parents decorating for every single season … We want to make sure we bring that to the neighborhood, especially in the middle of a city,\u201d said Kelly Moses, social media manager for the restaurant. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of nice when you get to go to a home away from home.\u201d<\/p>\n The students won\u2019t be decorating just any traditional flowerpots. Instead, the work of the three participating classes will be featured in a vintage suitcase, a little red wagon and individual mugs printed with photographs of the kids.<\/p>\n The class with the planter that receives the most tickets will earn a pizza party paid for by the restaurant.<\/p>\n Additionally, Queenstown Public House is calling on community members to donate old musical instruments to the program, which will be garnished with flowers and hung throughout the restaurant for the duration of the contest.<\/p>\n Moses said their goal is to have the restaurant bombarded with instruments and have \u201cflowers literally coming out of every area of the house.\u201d<\/p>\n Students will be expected to take care of their flowers and water them throughout the month, although Moses said staff members will keep an eye on them as well.<\/p>\n As for the kids, they\u2019ve got their eyes on the prize.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve got their flower planting ideas out and they\u2019re ready to go,\u201d Moses said. \u201cThey want that pizza.\u201d<\/p>\n The planters will be on display throughout the month of April, with voting to begin April 1.<\/p>\n On April 11, Queenstown Public House will be celebrating its three-year anniversary with an extended happy hour and food specials from 6 p.m. \u2013 close. That same evening, Queenstown staff will host a celebratory Champagne toast at 9 p.m. to encourage donations to the STEAM contest.<\/p>\n![\"IMG_1837[3]webtop\"](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_18373webtop.jpg\")
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