MEMPHIS, Tennessee — Downtown restaurants are hoping to entice people’s taste buds to go back downtown with deals this week during the annual Downtown Dining Week.
This year’s event, now in its 12th year, features the most restaurants participating at 66 locations.
“Downtown is quiet right now,” Aldo Dean, the owner of four participating restaurants, said. “A lot of people are still working from home so all the more reason that we need people to come downtown and check on it. Restaurants downtown are hurting.”
In a normal Downtown Dining Week, participating restaurants would all offer a three-course meal at the same price. Last year, it was for $20.19. This year it would have been $20.20, but due to the pandemic, organizers left it up to restaurants to decide what deal they wanted to offer.
Dean said Downtown Dining Week won't help the bottom line for his restaurants after losing so much during the pandemic shutdowns and capacity limits. He said participation in it is still key to bringing back customers.
"This is not going to be a year where we’re going to break even or make any money but what we’re going to do is tell people, 'hey you can do this safely. Come out'," Dean said.
Most deals restaurants will offer will be for dine-in only with some exceptions. Reservations at restaurants that take them are encouraged with the 50% capacity guidelines still in place.
I Love Memphis Blog has collected a list of the deals each restaurant will feature through the end of the week. Click here for more.
