Restaurant Week offers new deals for customers

Bloomington restaurants are known for their unique atmospheres and special menus, but many peoples’ pockets are not deep enough to make an outing every day of the week to one of these establishments.

Restaurant Week might be able to change that.

Imagine going on a date to a Bloomington restaurant like Finch’s Brasserie or Sweet Grass but paying less than $55 for a dinner that would usually cost about $80 or $90.

The association is offering a week of promotions that started Sunday and lasts until Thursday to more than 20 area restaurants for a price of $55 or less in an effort for Bloomington restaurants to give back to customers, said Bloomington Independent Restaurant Association Director Paul Busby.

However, the deals differ depending on the menus and restaurants.

Busby said interested people should check out www.bloomingtonindependents.com.
Busby said that there is a gift card sale on the Web site, and all of the restaurant’s gift cards are 20 percent off the regular price.

The restaurants offering gift cards include Janko’s Little Zagreb, Yogi’s Grill and Bar, Lennie’s, La Torre  and other local restaurants. 

Sara Sheikh of One World Enterprises and a Bloomington Independent Restaurant Association board member said a similar program in Indianapolis that promoted cheap dinners for two inspired Restaurant Week in Bloomington.

However, Restaurant Week is different because its primary goal is attracting consumers to Bloomington who enjoy culinary foods and to see what the city has to offer.

“Bloomington is the seventh-fastest-growing destination for wine and culinary cuisine, according to Orbitz,” Sheikh said. “Restaurant Week is part of our promotion of Bloomington’s finest food at the cheap deals everyone can enjoy.” 

Sophomore Zack Podorsky  said he had not heard about Restaurant Week.
“It sounds like something my parents would be interested in,” Podorsky said.

Sheikh said that a lot of students are getting gift cards for their parents and that the gift cards are going fast. Sheikh said the association has shipped gift cards to places as far as California, New York and overseas.

 “You can choose where to eat now and buy the gift cards on the Web site,” Sheikh said.