Eateries have taken down the Christmas tinsel and swept up the New Year’s Eve confetti. Now, many are gearing up for the next big event — Restaurant Week. While a growing number of markets around the country have adopted restaurant weeks to boost traffic at different times of the year, the post-holiday slowdown in January and February has proved a popular time for many to host deals designed to attract new customers with fixed-price multi-course meals.
Like many other restaurant trends, the concept of Restaurant Week began in New York City. The city’s eateries participated in the first week, a lunch-only event, in 1992. Since then, the promotion has proven a tourist draw and has been expanded to a twice-yearly event, with 2011?s first week beginning Jan. 24. Last year, participating eateries anxious to boost traffic in a down economy extended the winter promotion through the end of February.