WACO, Texas (KWTX) - Two Waco restaurants are teaming up for a one-day collaboration to support Harris Creek Baptist Church's Save a Seat campaign.

Helberg Barbeque and Shorty's Pizza Shack will offer a special pizza featuring Helberg's Texas Monthly Top 50 Award-Winning pork steak on Shorty's thin crust.

The collaboration will take place Tuesday, April 7, at Shorty's Woodway location at 8640 La Village Ave.

Creek Baptist Church Save

Yvette Helberg, owner of Helberg Barbeque, said the manager of Shorty's in Hewitt reached out after hearing stories of church members getting creative to raise money for the campaign.

"We are all members at Harris Creek and have all given personally and we are so close to the finish line," Helberg said. "So, we hope this gives other members of the community an opportunity to come together and finish strong so we can celebrate the work God is doing in our church."

The special menu will include the Helberg BBQ Pork Steak Pizza and pizza pillows, all drizzled with Helberg's signature red sauce.

BBQ Pork Steak Pizza

Phillip Helberg, owner of Helberg Barbeque, said the collaboration features the restaurant's famous citrus-marinated, cold-smoked pork steak on Shorty's thin crust with Helberg's barbecue sauce.

"This is the stuff that you know and love from us over at Helberg Barbeque, what's been written about in Texas Monthly, our famous pork steak," Phillip Helberg said.

Chris Salazar, general manager of Shorty's Pizza Shack in Hewitt, said the collaboration is something customers need.

Helberg Barbeque

Yvette Helberg said the restaurants look forward to serving the overflow problem so everyone can worship together.

"We really look forward to serving the overflow problem so that everyone can worship together under one roof and feel welcome," she said.

Harris Creek's Save a Seat campaign is raising funds to build a new 3,000-seat auditorium on the east side of the building. The auditorium is estimated to cost around $21 million and will include AV equipment, a new commons area, coffee shop, additional bathrooms and parking lots. The estimated completion date is December 2027.

Creek Save

The church said more than 34,000 people have sat in overflow in the last three years.

We are all members at Harris Creek and have all given personally and we are so close to the finish line.

The wider picture

Restaurants live and die on repeat visits, which makes consistency considerably more valuable than any single moment of brilliance.

At a glance

  • WACO, Texas (KWTX) - Two Waco restaurants are teaming up for a one-day collaboration to support Harris Creek Baptist Church's Save a Seat campaign
  • Helberg Barbeque and Shorty's Pizza Shack will offer a special pizza featuring Helberg's Texas Monthly Top 50 Award-Winning pork steak on Shorty's thin crust
  • The collaboration will take place Tuesday, April 7, at Shorty's Woodway location at 8640 La Village Ave
  • "We are all members at Harris Creek and have all given personally and we are so close to the finish line," Helberg said
  • The special menu will include the Helberg BBQ Pork Steak Pizza and pizza pillows, all drizzled with Helberg's signature red sauce

By the numbers

  • The auditorium is estimated to cost around $21 million and will include AV equipment, a new commons area, coffee shop, additional bathrooms and parking lots
  • The estimated completion date is December 2027

The bottom line

How this plays out in the dining room will take time to become clear. For now it is a development worth following rather than judging.