PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Center City Restaurant Week is underway and Center City District officials are encouraging people to make reservations, and bring their vaccination cards.
The event runs through January 21. It's a twice-annual promotion for Philly restaurants during a time when they're historically not so busy.
"It’s a prefixed, three-course menu. The dinners are $40. Lunch is $25," said Michelle Shannon, Center City District vice president of marketing and communications. During the pandemic, she said that down time has been more than seasonal.
“This has been an extremely tough two years for our whole hospitality community, not just our restaurants," said Shannon.
Nearly 70 restaurants are participating this time around. "Pre-pandemic, we probably had over 100," she said.
Part of that decrease, Shannon shared, is due to some closures, but she said a lot of restaurants just don't have the staff to participate right now, "and are not willing to participate if they can’t accommodate their guests according to their standard of service."
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Meanwhile, Shannon said restaurants could use the business, which is why they've partnered with nearby lots to entice visitors with discounted parking. She reminded people that in Philadelphia, proof of vaccination is required to dine indoors but noted outdoor dining has expanded during the pandemic.
"Even at this time of year," she said, "people have really embraced the 'streeteries' to the point where this is not going away."