Alabama Restaurant Week
Friday August 15 through Sunday August 24, 2014
Alabama Restaurant Week is a marketing event that highlights restaurants in Alabama and is part of the overall Alabama Tourism Department’s Alabama Food campaign.
Restaurants may sign up at www.alabamarestaurantweek.com now. Sign up is quick and easy. (NOTE: IF YOU SIGNED UP LAST YEAR, FIRST E-MAIL OR CALL GREY BRENNAN TO SEE IF LAST’S YEAR’S INFO IS STILL IN OUR COMPUTER. IT WILL SAVE YOU TIME 334-242-4459, grey.brennan@tourism.alabama.gov).
A restaurant enters basic information about their establishment and what multi-course meal(s) they want to offer at set prices of $10, $20 and $30 for dinner and $5, $10 and $15 for lunch.
In all cases, the price is per person for a meal consisting of
1) Starter (examples: appetizer, soup or salad)
2) Main course (examples: meat, fish or poultry or a vegetarian option, usually served with vegetables or side dish)
3) Dessert (examples: cheese, ice cream, fruit, pie or cookie)
(Note: Only 2 courses required at lunch, 3 for dinner meals – exceptions for single food restaurants such as BBQ)
The Alabama Restaurant Week set price multi–course meal(s) of $10, $20 and $30 for dinner and $5, $10 and $15 for lunch excludes tax, tip and drink.
A restaurant may participate in all three preset prices for both lunch or dinner, or just one or any combination. A restaurant does not have to participate in both lunch and dinner.
To qualify for participation, a restaurant must be locally owned and operated and/or a restaurant important to the tourism industry and located in Alabama. Most chain restaurants do not quality. Alabama Tourism Department reserves the right to include or deny any restaurant.
Partners with the Alabama Tourism Department in Alabama Restaurant Week are participating restaurants, local and regional Alabama tourism destination organizations, Convention and Visitor Bureaus, Chambers of Commerce, Birmingham Restaurant Week and the Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Alliance.
Any restaurant wanting to participate to should sign up now and submit their basic information. A restaurant may return to the website and enter their particular restaurant meal offerings any date as long as it is entered by July 15th deadline.
Alabama Restaurants
Sign up – It’s fast and easy
What is Alabama Restaurant Week?
Alabama Restaurant Week is a marketing event that highlights Alabama restaurants. This culinary event unites Alabama’s diverse range of cuisine into a 10-day event. Participating Restaurants offer pre-fixed three-course lunch and/or dinner offerings at an attractive set price.
When is Alabama Restaurant Week?
Alabama Restaurant Week is set for Friday August 15 through Monday August 24, 2014.
Which Restaurants Can Participate in Alabama Restaurant Week?
To qualify for participation, a restaurant must be locally owned and operated restaurants and/or restaurants important to the Alabama tourism industry. Most chain restaurants do not quality. The Alabama Tourism Department reserves the right to include or deny any restaurant. You do not have to be featured in the popular “l00 dishes to eat in Alabama before you die” brochure to participate.
How Much Do Restaurant Charge for Alabama Restaurant Week Meals?
The Alabama Restaurant Week pricing is fixed at $10, $20 and $30 for dinner and
$5, $10 and $15 for lunch. The price is per person for a restaurants 3-course dinner meal, at least 2 course lunch meal and has to exclude tax, tip and drink. Special exemption for single food restaurants such as bbq.
How Many Different Meal Preset Prices Must I Offer?
A restaurant may participate in all three preset prices for both lunch or dinner, or just one or any combination. You do not have to participate in both lunch and dinner.
What about a Restaurant’s Regular Menu?
In addition to the Alabama Restaurant Week meal listings, a restaurant should still use their regular menu. This way your patrons can order from either.
How Does a Restaurant Sign Up?
Starting June 1, 2014, go to the Alabama Tourism Department’s special Alabama Restaurant Week website to sign up. www.alabamarestaurantweek.com. It is fast and easy to sign up.
Does a Restaurant Have to Know Their Meal Offering to Sign Up?
Not during the initial sign up period. A restaurant should sign up for the program as soon as a decision has been made by the restaurant to request participating. This helps start a dialog between the restaurant and the Alabama Tourism Department. By signing up early in the process, a restaurant increases their chances of receiving publicity.
Each restaurant must enter their fixed price meal offering by the deadline and complete their submission form by the deadline to participate.
What Happens if a Restaurant Does Not Enter their meal offering or complete the form by deadline of July 15, 2014?
Any restaurant not fulfilling all requirements will be automatically delisted from the program. You can return once you have notified us that you have entered your special fixed price Alabama Restaurant Week meal and it meets the requirement.
Is There a Cost to Participate?
The Alabama Tourism Department does not charge a fee.
How Will Alabama Restaurant Week be Promoted?
Alabama Restaurant Week is part of our Alabama Food campaign. This special 10-day event has been included in the Alabama Tourism Department’s Calendar of Events and main website.
In addition a special website, www.alabamarestaurantweek.com has been created. This website will promote all the restaurants in Alabama that sign up for Alabama Restaurant Week. Included on the website will be your restaurant’s name, address, telephone number, website, hours of operation, what the restaurant is best known for, reservation information, and the listing of the pre-fixed Alabama Restaurant meals.
The Alabama Tourism Department will also promote on our I Love Alabama Food website and in social media promotions across our multi-brands.
What Promotional Material Will a Restaurant Receive?
If requested by the restaurant, and as long as supplies last, a restaurant will receive:
1) A supply of Alabama Restaurant Week buttons for the restaurant’s staff to wear.
2) A supply of Alabama Restaurant Week posters.
3) A supply of printed material to promote Alabama Restaurant Week.
4) A supply of table top tent promotion items.
What Can a Restaurant Do to Receive Extra Promotion?
When you sign up, you will be asked if there is someone at your restaurant willing to speak to the media. The Alabama Tourism Department will keep this information on file for media calls we receive searching for interviews with local Alabama Restaurant Week establishments. We also suggest that you to call your local newspaper and broadcast station. Let the local media know your restaurant is part of this statewide event and that you would be willing to be interviewed. This will be especially helpful to your restaurant if the story runs just prior or during Alabama Restaurant Week.
When is the Deadline to Sign Up?
The deadline to enter your information for Alabama Restaurant Week with the Alabama Tourism Department is July 15, 2014.
What About Birmingham Restaurant Week?
You may be familiar with Birmingham Restaurant Week. The concept for Alabama Restaurant Week is based on Birmingham’s except now the entire state can participate. The Alabama Tourism Department timed the statewide event on the same dates as Birmingham’s Restaurant Week and incorporated the same price points for meals.
Restaurants within metro Birmingham, which includes the City of Birmingham, Mountain Brook, Vestavia, Homewood, Highway 280 and Hoover, will need to sign up with Birmingham Restaurant Week (BRW) since restaurants in these areas are involved in BRW. Once signed up for BRW, Birmingham area restaurants will be automatically included in Alabama Restaurant Week with no additional effort. A small fee is charged by the Birmingham Restaurant Week organization.
Restaurants in the Birmingham area should contact James Little Cell 205-249-5829
Email james@bhamrestaurantweek.com
Restaurants in all other areas of the state need only to sign up for Alabama Restaurant Week at www.alabamarestaurantweek.com. Grey Brennan is the coordinator for Alabama Restaurant Week.
Alabama Restaurant Week Partners
Partners with the Alabama Tourism Department in Alabama Restaurant Week are participating restaurants, local and regional Alabama tourism destination organizations, Convention and Visitor Bureaus, Chambers of Commerce, Birmingham Restaurant Week.
Alabama Tourism Department 334-242-4169
Email, grey.brennan@tourism.alabama.gov
Who is My Contact?
A restaurant’s local contact will be their Convention and Visitors Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, other tourism organization. The Alabama Tourism Department is the overall coordinator.
Legal Notice
By submitting a request to participate, the restaurant and its officers, employees, shareholders, affiliates, agents agree that the Alabama Tourism Department and its officers, employees, shareholders, affiliates, agents, and advertising and promotional agencies have no liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind related to participation in this promotion.