Beginning today, Milwaukee patrons can take a seat at some of the city’s most revered restaurants and enjoy an extravagant meal for a steal.
Milwaukee’s Downtown Dining Week is back for a ninth year, with eight days of dining deals at 40 downtown restaurants.
The week, organized by Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21, offers diners a chance to enjoy a three-course lunch at any participating restaurant for $12.50 and a three-course dinner for $25 or $35.
“It just gives the consumer the opportunity to just have delicious food in a really competitively-priced environment,” said Beth Weirick, CEO of Milwaukee Downtown.
The event, running through Thursday, June 12, highlights some of the city’s top-tier and most innovative restaurants – many that are locally owned and many that have an ethnic flair. Examples include The Capital Grille, Carnevor, Coquette Café, and Kanpai.
All restaurants featured in Downtown Dining Week are personally invited by Weirick and her staff.
“We invite them because we know that they share our mission to provide excellent food in an excellent environment with excellent service to our customer,” Weirick said.
Attention to environment and service is as important as attention to food during Downtown Dining Week, according to Weirick.
“We don’t want the customer to feel like we’re rushing you through,” she said. “We want the customer to enjoy that experience – the full experience – (and) not just come in and eat.”
While many of the restaurants on this year’s Downtown Dining Week list have become staples of the event, new participants include Carson’s, Millioke, Smoke Shack, and The Loaded Slate.
And while the week helps draw new traffic to downtown restaurants, it also stimulates residual business as restaurants gear up for the summer season, according to feedback from participating restaurants in previous years.
Traditionally, the week attracts between 40,000 and 60,000 patrons.
“We are definitely a foodie city,” Weirick said. “People love to eat and drink and eat and drink locally and support local businesses.”
Looking ahead to 2015, Milwaukee Downtown is exploring holding two Downtown Dining Weeks, one again in the summer and another during winter months, “to really give people two different seasons to experience the culinary offerings through Downtown Dining Week,” Weirick said.
For more information on this year’s event and its lineup of restaurants, visit www.milwaukeedowntown.com/diningweek. Milwaukee Downtown invites patrons to complete an online survey following their dining experience. Four selected participants will win $500 in dining certificates at Downtown Dining Week restaurants.
