Buffalo, NY (WBEN) This week marks the spring edition of Buffalo Restaurant Week. Visit Buffalo Niagara says the week gives eateries a chance to showcase their signature dishes and offer up something different for diners looking to try something new.
Visit Buffalo Niagara's Patrick Kaler says this is an opportunity to showcase food in Buffalo and Erie County. "We've got ethnic foods, to steaks to seafood to burgers. And this is just our way of highlighting the great food that we have here," says Kaler.
Kaler tells WBEN after taking over Restaurant Week from the State Restaurant Association, VBN had more than 150,000 hits to its website in October, becoming the second most viewed VBN page last year. "They're excited about getting new faces through their doors, people who are looking for new opportunities of trying out new restaurant, as well as going to some of their longtime favorites," says Kaler.
Kaler says it's easy for a restaurant to take part. "All they have to do is provide a fixed price menu that visitors and residents can go and enjoy," explains Kaler. "We post the different menus on our website as well. And what we have asked the restaurants to do is to participate in one of the three different tiers of pricing so that you know every price point of restaurant can participate."
Ellie Grenauer of Glen Park Tavern says restaurants had to pay when the State Restaurant Association ran Restaurant Week. Now that VBN has picked up the ball, it's free to take part. "It's really nice for the restaurants because you can just put a menu together and join the party," says Grenauer, who praises VBN for making Restaurant Week bigger and better.
Grenauer says the week is exciting for everyone on her staff. "They get to create some fun and different dishes that we wouldn't probably typically offer. So that part of it makes it exciting for the customer and my staff," says Grenauer. She credits VBN with making the event tops of people's minds and trying different restaurants trying to support the local businesses.
Dozens of restaurants have already signed up, and Kaler expected more over the weekend.
