It started with a bet between two guys sitting at bar.

It was a new year, and Brian Haney and Jack Manousos, owner of Killarney’s Publick House, were arguing over who could lose more weight. The argument turned into a bet, at first for $10 and then for dinner. Soon, people around the bar were clamoring to get in on the bet, arguing that they could lose more.

When the two saw the enthusiasm they had drummed up, they thought about turning that enthusiasm into something more productive. That’s how the two organized a contest to benefit Ryan’s Quest, hosted by Killarney’s.

“We’re doing this for Ryan’s Quest, not so much exposure for the restaurant,” Manousos said.

Manousos said Killarney’s is only providing the venue for the contest, which had 13 participants at the first weigh-in Jan. 19. The entry fee is $20, and each contestant must gather 10 sponsors to give at least $1 for each pound lost.

Manousos and Haney hope to raise $4,000 by the time the contest ends in May.

Manousos said people have asked him why a restaurant owner would want to host an eating contest, but he said raising money for a good cause outweighed whatever losses he took.

“We win too because we’re raising awareness,” he said.

Ryan’s Quest is a Hamilton-based group formed to raise money to find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a deadly muscle disorder that afflicts one out of every 3,500 boys.

Manousos and Haney hope to make the contest an annual event, perhaps benefiting other charities. And though their argument has turned into a charitable contest, that doesn’t mean the bet is off.

Haney said Manousos would have to treat him to a surf and turf dinner at Prime Rib in Philadelphia after the contest.

“He’s going to wish that he bet the $10,” he said.

For more information, call Killarney’s Publick House at (609) 586-1166.