Sunderland Restaurant Week in March saw more than 21,500 diners take advantage of special deals at dozens of restaurants, cafés and bars around the city – delivering an estimated economic impact of £646,440.
The twice-yearly event continues to grow, bolstered by Sunderland’s fast-growing restaurant scene, with both new venues and old favourites taking part in March.
The three most popular venues were Rumour Has It at Green Terrace, House of Zen at Seaburn, and Asiana at the Echo 24 building.
Ian Wong, owner of Asiana, said: “This can be traditionally a quiet time of year – after Mother’s Day and in the run-up to Easter – so restaurant week is a real boost. It was another really successful event, and we were delighted to welcome so many diners into Asiana, many of whom were getting their first opportunity to see its new look.”
Sharon Appleby, chief executive of Sunderland BID, added: “We have so many great places to eat and so many new restaurants and bars opening that it’s fantastic to be able to give people from the city and beyond the opportunity to try them. The many different cuisines that are now available in Sunderland means that the event has a real international flavour and is drawing an audience from far and wide.
“Sunderland Restaurant Week makes a considerable economic impact and that doesn’t take into account the fact that – once they’ve visited – many people come back time and time again throughout the year. We look forward to the event returning in September, when hopefully we will have even more dining experiences available for people to try.”
