CINCINNATI — Get your calendars — and your stomachs — ready because Greater Cincinnati Restaurant Week is back.
More than 40 local restaurants are offering deals on three-course meals from Sept. 19 through Sept. 25. Restaurants will charge either $26, $36 or $46 for the full meal with $1 from the first 1,000 meals served benefiting Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
The week-long event, which last happened this past spring, is set to promote different restaurants in the area and encourage people to enjoy and support local culinary talents. Some of the eateries you'll be able to go to include Khora, Primavista, Nicola's, Ivory House, Subito, Mita's, Via Vite, Alfio's Buon Cibo, Moerlein Lager House and many more.
“It took us probably a week to put together the menu, the price point,” said Moerlein Lager House Executive Chef Nathan Whittington.
The restaurant is expecting a boost in business and expects the promotion to bring in new customers.
“That's why we tend to do it,” said general manager Aaron Adams. “That's why we love to do it every year.”
That boost is something many restaurants could use. More than half of Ohio restaurant operators reported a decline in sales compared to earlier this year, according to the latest Ohio Restaurant Association (ORA) Business Impact Poll.
One of those issues is the high cost of food.
“For the past two years it's been a roller coaster ride,” Whittington said. “Could be ketchup one week, tomatoes. Potatoes the next week.”
“Every one of us, all restaurants are part of this and no one is isolated from this struggle,” Adams said.
At The Brown Dog Cafe in Blue Ash, it’s a similar story.
“We've stuck with products that aren't getting so expensive by the pound that we can still put on the menu,” said Max Pelkey, the restaurant’s General Manager.
Barker said the good news is that people are dining out. Their habits, however, are changing.
“One is lunch because so many people were working at home, where people used to be in their offices and be Downtown,” Barker said. “Number two is because it's hard to get employees, so many of our restaurants are having a hard time being open all the days and hours that they used to be. That means overall sales might actually be down even though the hours they're open, they're booming.”
Barker said promotional events like these are helpful.
“Keep going to your restaurants that you love,” he said. “Try to couple new ones. These are low risk ways to do it.”
“It gives us all a chance to come together and learn from things,” Adams said. “You want customers walking away feeling like they got a good value. And and they got to experience something new.”
“We really are rallying for all the restaurants to have a really good week,” Pelkey said.
Other than the three-course meal offerings, there will also be cocktail specials with Maker's Mark bourbon at certain eateries. The Golden Lamb will have a candy corn cocktail, which is made with sweet corn simple syrup, Maker's Mark, autumn spices and a smoked salt rim. Butcher and Barrel will also have a Maple Peach Bourbon Smash made with Maker's Mark, fresh peaches, mint, cinnamon, maple syrup and a splash of ginger ale.
For those interested in eating at a restaurant or two during Greater Cincinnati Restaurant Week, you can download the event's app. The app details all the participating restaurants, their menus, hours of operation and more. Other than that, the app allows you to earn points when you check in at a restaurant, participate in contests.
You can download the Greater Cincinnati Restaurant Week app via the Apple App Store or the Google Play store here.
For more information about Greater Cincinnati Restaurant Week click here.
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