SPIRE PRESENTS BIRMINGHAM RESTAURANT WEEK AUG. 14 – 31, 2020 WITH EXTENDED DATES AND TO-GO & CURBSIDE OPTIONS
Birmingham’s premier dining out event adds bars, food trucks and eight extra days of Second Helpings to maximize restaurant sales
The 11th annual Birmingham Restaurant Week (BRW) presented by Spire will be held Friday, Aug. 14 through Monday, Aug. 31, 2020 with 18 days of dining out deals. Normally a 10-day event, this year’s BRW provides an additional eight days of Second Helpings to maximize sales for area businesses due to COVID-19 and to allow patrons more opportunity to support participating businesses. Birmingham’s Premier Culinary and Beverage event features a new recipe this year with an emphasis on new Curbside, To-Go and Delivery options available from participating restaurants, bars and food trucks.
Established in 2010, the annual event celebrates the city’s burgeoning culinary reputation, demonstrating to locals, the region and the world why Birmingham is the South’s most vibrant culinary destination by offering incentives for patrons to revisit their favorite restaurants, bars and food trucks or to experience new ones. From fine dining to down-home cookin’, food and drink lovers with a taste for adventure can enjoy special lunch or dinner 2 and 3-course, prix-fixe menus ranging from $5 to $50 per person – making it easy and affordable for everyone to enjoy a taste of Birmingham’s diverse dishes. BRW is inviting locally owned bars and food trucks to participate this year as well.
New for this year, patrons have the opportunity to bring BRW home to their table and enjoy with family and friends by choosing from new To-Go and Curbside Pick-Up options, as well as Delivery, if available from the restaurant. The traditional Dine-In option for BRW will be available but limited for businesses and with safety precautions, such as socially distanced seating, disposable table items, mask requirements and more. Family-Style Meals, To-Go Cocktails and Cocktail Kits have been included by many participating BRW businesses.
“Birmingham Restaurant Week is going to be huge for the restaurant industry this year,” said Zebbie Carney, owner of Eugene’s Hot Chicken. “I believe that the restaurant industry has taken a bigger hit than most industries with the influx of customers. Even if people are just ordering to-go or buying gift cards during BRW, it will tremendously help restaurants!”
Nothing about 2020 is business as usual. And yet, BRW feels the weight of importance in supporting local restaurants which represent both small businesses and the food which defines our culture. In fact, in the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation, it was local restaurants that rapidly implemented curbside and delivery plans in order to keep Birmingham fed.
“This year, it’s more important than ever to support our local restaurants among all they’ve faced as a result of the pandemic,” says Bill Stoeffhaas, co-founder of Birmingham Restaurant Week and partner at Style Advertising. “Each restaurant has created their own unique way of moving forward during this challenging time, and this year’s BRW provides an opportunity to spotlight that and provide them with the community support and promotion they deserve.”
Only locally owned and operated businesses will be allowed to participate this year, as BRW has decided to be hyper local and support the local community. Participation is welcomed from local establishments throughout metro Birmingham, including the City of Birmingham, Mountain Brook, Vestavia, Homewood, Hoover, Trussville and other neighboring cities.
“Spire is excited to work with BRW in supporting our local restaurants during this difficult time and highlight our mutual commitment to the health and safety of our communities. This year’s BRW is a great example of how we can begin to move forward and get through this – together,” says Joe Hampton, President of Spire Alabama.
“All of the hardworking and dedicated individuals who are the heartbeat of the culinary talent in our city have suffered the brunt of this crisis, and it’s up to us to support and promote them during this time,” says James Little, co-founder of BRW and owner of Filter Coffee Parlor. “We’re asking everyone to take advantage of this year’s BRW more than ever by ordering to-go or curbside pickup meals, purchasing family packs and cocktail kits and enjoying all that the restaurants and bars are bringing to the table this year.”
In spring 2019, BRW organizers surveyed diners and found the following:
- 86% of those diners want to expand their palate. Diners intentionally sample new restaurants during BRW and 71% cite that as the primary reason they value BRW.
- 98% of diners want another helping and return to new restaurants they have tried AFTER Restaurant Week has ended.
Throughout 10 years of BRW, more than 1.2 million BRW menus have been sold, raising over $24.5 million in gross receipt sales and generating more than $2.2 million in sales tax for local cities. In 2019, an estimated 108,000 meals were served, generating more than $2.1 million in total gross revenue to participating restaurants. BRW has also raised more than $75,000 for local nonprofits, which is a goal of BRW to continue doing this year. Planning is underway for Winter Restaurant Week which will take place Jan. 22 – 31, 2021.
BRW is active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and can be found @bhamrestweek. The official event hashtag is #BhamRestWeek. The BRW “Free Food Friday” contest is taking place again, allowing fans to win gift certificates to a BRW-participating restaurant each Friday.
Restaurants, bars and food trucks can sign up for BRW on the “Business Sign-Up” tab at www.bhamrestaurantweek.comor click here. The deadline is July 24, 2020. Those wishing to sponsor the yummiest event in town can do so by emailing info@bhamrestaurantweek.com for more information. All other details can be found at www.bhamrestaurantweek.com.
In addition to Spire, gracious sponsors include Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Clyde May’s, Birmingham Budweiser, Red Diamond, Fox 6 WBRC, Coca-Cola, Birmingham Mountain Radio, Bham Now and EXCURSIONSGO.com.