Bellbrook graduation 2012
Fairfield Senior 2012 graduation
Kroger Aquatic Center opens
Home > Blogs > Uncorked > Archives > 2007 > January > 28 > Entry
Would you be willing to pay more than $20.07 for Restaurant Week?
Restaurant Week is officially underway, with 41 Dayton-area restaurants inviting YOU to dine on a three-course meal for just $20.07 through Friday, Feb. 2.
I’d like to hear about your experiences with restaurant week — the food, the service, the atmosphere, the leftover wine — whatever strikes your fancy. Short and sweet or detailed and comprehensive, your comments are important both to Uncorked and to the restaurants that are trying to showcase their best (and to persuade you to come back).
But for the moment, let’s take this step further by delving into an issue that the Miami Valley Restaurant Association has been grappling with: cost. So far, the gimmick behind Restaurant Week has been the price, which rises by a penny each year ($20.07). But some restaurant owners would like to be able to charge more if they wish, saying they’re making very little, if any, money on the three-course-meal promotion. Some cities that have similar promotions do set a higher price than the challenging twenty-bucks-and-change.
Would you be willing to pay more for Restaurant Week? Click on “post your comment” to let us know your thoughts.
A few more important details and insider tips on Restaurant Week:
Restaurant Week starts Sunday 1-28-07 and runs through next Friday, Feb. 2.
One important thing to remember: In most cases, reservations are required, and Miami Valley Restaurant Association folks and restaurant owners strongly recommend calling to check on availability and hours.
For every Restaurant Week meal served, each participating restaurant will donate $1 to Cox Arboretum.
The MVRA promotion has been gaining momentum. Last summer’s restaurant week resulted in a record 6,189 meals served and generated $6,189 for Children’s Medical Center of Dayton, and restaurant officials say judging from the volume of phone calls and Web site traffic, interest is continuing to grow.
MVRA President Lisa Grigsby expects 6,500 meals to be served this week.
Some restaurants are finding ways to get some additional mileage out of the special offer: The Blue Moon Restaurant in Centerville (formerly called Eclipse), which recently began serving lunches, will offer a lunch portion of its Restaurant Week three-course meal for $12.07. The Bistro at l’Auberge will extend its dinner promotion a week, through Feb. 10.
And the Dayton Racquet Club, which is generally not open to the public, makes an exception for Restaurant Week. The club in the Kettering Tower at Second and Main streets in downtown Dayton will serve a three-course meal Tuesday through Friday evenings. Reservations for the special dinner will be available to nonmembers at 7 p.m. or later, or on a waiting-list basis for those who want to dine earlier, said Charlene Thatcher, the club’s receptionist. Dress code is business casual — no denim or team-logo-type sportswear.
One new wrinkle this year: diners who fill out a survey card will be entered into a contest and could win a three-day cruise (I wonder whether they’ll ask about the pricing issue?). Second and third prizes consisting of dining-out gift certificates also will be awarded, Grigsby said.
And remember that tax, tip and beverages are not included in the $20.07 price. Also, this is the first Restaurant Week in which you should be able to take leftover wine home in a sealed bottle, assuming the restaurant is taking advantage of the new state law that allows the practice.
To see which restaurants are planning to serve — as well as WHAT they’re going to serve — go to www.dineoutdayton.com.
Then, log onto Uncorked and let us know how things went!
Thanks for reading, and cheers!
Mark Fisher
TweetGo to my facebook page and click Like to comment.
Comments
By Cheffie
February 2, 2007 6:59 AM | Link to this
As a person who has been in the industry for over three decades, believe me when I say that anybody who is griping about “not making money” not only doesn’t get what the program is about, but should be taken to task for not creatively engineering menus that warrant both return visits based upon the obvious and provide “some” level of profit. Remember gang that this is a time when most restaurants are devoid of any patrons. This is the cheapest advertising any operation can get - they are being paid to have people come, dine and be “WOWED”….And a savvy owner will realize that these customers should leave with a little something “extra” if he truly understands the power of this promotion and choose to maximize and exploit what should be a marketing bonanza! No real out-of-pocket expense, lots of customers and unlimited upside potential! Now those are the ingredients for a great recipe…(Sorry, but couldn’t pass up on the cheese, no culinary pun intended!)
By Dennis
January 31, 2007 7:26 AM | Link to this
Had a wonderful dinner last night at Blue Moon. Terrific mushroom soup with a nice kick of white pepper and loaded with vegetables - matched very nicely with a Tasmanian Pinot Noir. The Ancho Chili Sirloin was done perfectly. Rich and hearty with just the right chili/cumin heat to warm up on a cold!!! night. The pasta dish was rich and creamy with the wine sauce blending beautifully with soft fresh mozirella. Randy’s (the waiter) enthusiasm was very contagious. I recommend making reservations (walk ins had to wait 30-45 minutes). Also Hayden(?), the owner’s son, did an excellent job talking to customers and keeping the water glasses full. He has the personality to be running the front of the house in a few years. On Tuesdays (not just during restaurant week) all bottles of wine are half price. They are also doing the same menu at lunch for $12.07. Great deals are all around.
By Martha
January 29, 2007 5:54 PM | Link to this
I just found out about this and would like to just try it at $20.07!
By John C.
January 29, 2007 2:09 PM | Link to this
The point of the promotion is to get folks out to eat at a time when they usually stay at home. Sometimes you have to give a little to get a whole lot. Frankly, with the way prices are headed at restaurants in our area, Restaurant Week may end up being the only time I could afford to eat out!
By cathy
January 29, 2007 1:47 PM | Link to this
Yes, I’d be willing to pay more. I like John’s idea… restaurants should be able to charge a supplement for the selections that are more costly.
By John
January 28, 2007 9:32 AM | Link to this
So do what other cities do during Restaurant Week - if there’s a particular choice that’s more complicated or uses more expensive ingredients, charge a supplement. Just keep the supplement items down to 50% of the special menu.
By Ann
January 28, 2007 8:31 AM | Link to this
Am I willing to pay more than $20.07 for a meal in a restaurant? You Bet!! I do it multiple times a week. But I also LIKE the gimmick of restaurant week. It wouldn’t be restaurant week otherwise…it would just be like any other week. Would I go out if they called it restaurant week and it was something other than $20.07…nope, I’d probably stay home and cook…egads!