Flint Restaurant Week to kickoff with nearly 20 participating eateries

FLINT, MI – Nearly 20 restaurants are participating in this year’s Flint Restaurant Week including Flint’s Krystal Jo’s Diner, Timothy’s Pub, Totem Books and The Palette Cafe inside the Flint Institute of Arts.

“Our goal is the same as it was last year when we started this, which is to continue to promote Flint in a positive way and to showcase the great restaurant scene that’s emerging here,” said co-organizer Spencer Ruegsegger, General Manager at Blackstone’s Pub & Grill.

A kick-off event will be held May 16, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Luigi’s, 2132 Davison Rd.

Nineteen restaurants are participating in this year’s second-annual Flint Restaurant Week. The event runs from May 16 – 20.

For some, Flint Restaurant Week is an opportunity to present new and special menu items to regular customers. For others, it’s chance to showcase their cuisine to a new clientele who may not be familiar with their establishment.

‘Passports’ are available at each participating restaurant during the event, which guests can use to track the number of establishments they have visited. If a guest visits enough restaurants during the week, they will qualify for a special prize that can be picked up Saturday, the final day of the event.

A number of restaurants have scheduled special entertainment and associated events to complement the full-week of activities. Flint Crepe Co. is offering “Funky Brunch Week” with limited-time-only breakfast crepes. Tap takeovers and live musical entertainment will be hosted throughout the week at various establishments. The Local Grocer is even hosting a jigsaw puzzle competition from 6-8 p.m. on May 20.

 “We have a great community here and a thriving culinary scene,” said co-organizer Ken Laatz, General Manager of Soggy Bottom Bar. “Flint Restaurant Week is a way for us to both celebrate and promote to the many good things that are happening here, and to introduce new people to Flint.”

Organizers said the first-year results were very encouraging:

• Average of 32 percent increase in revenue across 18 different bars and restaurants compared to the same period one year prior. More than $171,000 increase in combined revenue.
• Of the Passports completed and returned, 72 percent were from zip codes outside of the city of Flint.
• More than 15,000 people visited local bars and restaurant over the five-day period, according to the restaurant’s Point-of-Sale systems.
• Billboard campaign consisted of eight different boards, with more than 5.1 million impressions over a four-week period.

Flint Restaurant Week is made possible by financial contributions from each participating establishment. Funding was also provided by the Greater Flint Arts Council, made possible by a generous grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Additional support is provided by: Flint & Genesee Convention and Visitors Bureau; Michigan Restaurant Association; National Restaurant Association; Olmsted Associates, Inc.; Gordon’s Food Service; OUTFRONT Media; Townsquare Media; Sectorlink, and graphic designer Brent Mosser.

A complete list of participating restaurants is included below and available online at FlintRestaurantWeek.com. A full event schedule is also posted on FlintRestaurantWeek.com.

Participating Restaurants: