Sunderland’s latest Restaurant Week served up a huge boost to the local economy – bringing in more than £400,000.
The popular event, which ran March 7-15, saw 56 venues across the city centre, Sheepfolds, the seafront and the wider city take part.
Thousands of diners downloaded vouchers to take advantage of a range of discounts which were on offer throughout the week.
Restaurant Week – which is organised by Sunderland BIDs – also attracted a range of newcomers this year, including Sheepfolds dining spot Ember, Love Lily, and Rio Steakhouse.
“We completely recognise the great opportunity Restaurant Week brings to the city,” said Vito Farrigu, owner of Vito’s at Sheepfolds. “We see a massive impact on revenue during the week. We were surprised to find a lot of diners had never eaten with us before, so it also does a great job in promoting restaurants to a new audience. It is a fantastic week, and we are already looking forward to the next one.”
Roberta Redecke, head of business services at Sunderland BIDs, added: “The benefits that both Restaurant Weeks bring to the city can’t be underestimated. Not only do they make a really meaningful impact on the local economy, but they also give people the opportunity to discover new places to eat which, given Sunderland’s booming hospitality industry, is good news for everyone. Once again, we had thousands of diners turning out to enjoy fantastic food at a great price which hopefully will also incentivise them to go back and visit again and again.”
David Turton, marketing manager at Nexus, which partners on the event, added: “There are a growing number of fantastic restaurants in the city that are accessible by Metro, and it was brilliant to see so many people from across the region enjoying what Sunderland has to offer.”
