Tag: restaurant week

The Best Thing to Happen This Winter in Birmingham

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Birmingham Restaurant Week (BRW) organizers are pleased to announce the dates for BRW 2021 – Winter Edition presented by Spire. Happening Thursday, Jan. 14 through Sunday, Jan. 31, the 18-day Winter Edition seeks to further support the restaurant and bar industries during a time when it is more crucial than ever. https://bhamrestaurantweek.com

This event will boast to-go and curbside pickup options as well as the traditional, but limited, dine-in options, as health precautions are still being mandated. With aims to keep guests warm, fed and safe and to allow for al fresco dining no matter the weather, many restaurants are making special accommodations to safely serve diners during the winter by offering outdoor high-powered heaters, cabana tents and “igloos” to expand upon outdoor and patio seating.

From fine dining to down-home cookin’, food and drink lovers with a taste for adventure can enjoy special two and three-course breakfast, lunch and/or dinner 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 and sips. BRW 2021 – Winter Edition aims to keep bellies full, restaurants cooking and jobs safe. BRW is more than eating and drinking, it is about supporting local restaurants and giving people an opportunity to enjoy 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.

“Spire is once again excited to partner with Birmingham Restaurant Week in supporting our local restaurants,” says Joe Hampton, president of Spire Alabama, Gulf Coast and Mississippi. “As we enter into the winter months, these local restaurants need our support more than ever. With plenty of curbside and to-go options available, this winter’s event will be a great example of how we can continue to move forward and get through this – together.”

BLUEROOT in Mountain Brook

“This has been an incredible experience, and I am so thrilled we joined up this year,” said Viscaino. “Our sales have been incredible, and I could barely keep our cheesecake stocked! I made more cheesecake in the two weeks of BRW 2020 than I did all summer! We appreciate the continued support, and I am really looking forward to next year’s event.”

Ocean Restaurant in Five Points South

Organizers are excited to announce the official list of BRW 2021 – Winter Edition participants: 5 Point Public House, Ash, Ashley Mac’s at The Pizitz, Avondale Burger Co., Basil Pizza & Bar, Bay Leaf Modern Indian Cuisine & Bar, Birmingham Candy Company at The Pizitz, Blueroot, Bobby Carl’s Table, Carrigan’s (Downtown), Classic Wine Co., Crestline Bagel Co. (Mountain Brook, Cahaba Heights & Downtown), Dreamland Bar-B-Que (Southside), Edolyn’s Pies at The Pizitz, El ZunZun, Eli’s Jerusalem Grill at The Pizitz, Farrelly’s Southern Bar and Kitchen, Filter Coffee Parlor, J Wings at The Pizitz, JuicedUp Essentials at The Pizitz, Kamali Creole Kitchen, La Tía Paisa Taco Shop, Lou’s Pub & Package Store, Michael’s Restaurant, Piper & Leaf Tea Co. at The Pizitz, Porky’s Pride Smokehouse, Ocean, Ono Poke at The Pizitz, Ovenbird, Pho Pho Vietnamese at The Pizitz, Rojo, Roots & Revelry, Sabor Latino, Silver Kati at The Pizitz, Slice Pizza and Brewhouse (Lakeview & Vestavia), Sol y Luna Restaurant, Spring Street Bar & Grill, Taj India, The Fig Tree,, The Louis Bar at The Pizitz, The Lumbar, The Standard at The Pizitz, The Woed Experience Food Truck, The Yard, Tortugas Pizza – Birmingham, Tostadas, Tropicaleo, Unos Tacos at The Pizitz, and Vino & Gallery Bar.

FILTER Coffee in Five Points South

With almost 60 participants, BRW 2020 had a whole new recipe with the new to-go and curbside pickup options. Only locally owned businesses were allowed to participate, as nearly 65 percent of the revenue from local independent restaurants recirculates in the local economy (compared to about 30 percent for chain restaurants). Other new additions included family-style meal options, cocktail kits and to-go alcohol, which were easily some of the biggest successes of this summer’s event. Traditional dine-in was still an option for some restaurants and bars; however, socially-distanced tables, capacity limits and mask requirements were mandated to ensure safety for guests and employees. For the first time, BRW extended the normal 10-day event to 18, offering more days for patrons to partake and more opportunity for incoming sales for participating businesses.

Giving back to the community has always been an essential component for BRW with more than $75,000 raised for local nonprofits in its 11 years of existence. After BRW 2020, organizers donated $2,500 to the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama (CFBCA) to help aid in its mission to end hunger tomorrow. The CFBCA feeds over 80,000 people at risk of hunger per month and supplies food to 250 food banks, shelters and children’s programs in 12 counties in Central Alabama.

mo:mo: at The Pizitz Food Hall

“Right now donations are very important from the community because we’ve almost doubled the amount of food that is going out into the 12-county Central Alabama region this year,” said CEO of CFBCA, Brett Meredith. “We have gone from about 1.1 million pounds a month to roughly 2.2 million pounds a month right now, so that makes such a difference.”

BRW could not be possible without the generous support from sponsors, including Spire, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Birmingham Bud, Red Diamond, Fox 6 WBRC, Coca-Cola, Birmingham Mountain Radio, Bham Now, The Birmingham Times, The Pizitz Food Hall and EXCURSIONS by CityVision.

For more information about BRW and the Winter Edition, visit www.bhamrestaurantweek.com. BRW is active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and can be found @bhamrestweek. The official event hashtag is #BhamRestWeek. 

ABOUT BIRMINGHAM RESTAURANT WEEK

Established in 2010, BRW is an 18-day culinary affair where local restaurants offer incentives for patrons to revisit their favorite restaurants or to experience new ones, celebrating the landmark eateries that helped make Birmingham’s food scene what it is today. BRW gives chefs the opportunity to showcase how they’re feeding the city—from creating nationally-acclaimed dishes that feature locally-sourced ingredients to mentoring the next generation of culinary entrepreneurs. BRW is organized by Birmingham advertising agency Style Advertising and James Little. This event is proudly co-sponsored by CityVision and EXCURSIONSgo.com.

#brw2021 #bhamrestweek #inbirmingham #excursionsgo #supportlocal #eattheham

EXCURSIONS Proudly Sponsors Birmingham Restaurant Week Aug. 14-31, 2020

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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. 

5 Point Public House Oyster Bar

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.

Ocean

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. 

Pilcrow Cocktail Cellar

“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.”

Slice Pizza & Brew

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. 

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