Washington’s popular Restaurant Week only launched Monday, but already several restaurants have announced they will extend their prix fixe menus an additional week in order to accommodate demand for reservations in what’s typically a slow period for Washington restaurants.
Mie N Yu and Indebleu both announced they will extend their Restaurant Week through Aug. 27 before the official event even kicked off. Charlie Palmer Steakhouse will also extend their Restaurant Week, Brian Voltaggio, executive chef and general manager, told The Examiner.
“Restaurant Week is a great promotion because it brings in diners who haven’t had the opportunity to try Charlie Palmer Steak,” Voltaggio said. “Everybody knows August is slow, so it’s very, very helpful to have Restaurant Week during this time.”
The bump in sales during the week varies widely from restaurant to restaurant, with spikes of anywhere from 15 percent to 200 percent, according to figures from the Washington, D.C. Convention & Tourism Corporation, which co-organizes the twice-yearly event with the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.
“Restaurant Week is always our highest sales week of the year, barring private events,” said David Troust, associate general manager of Mie N Yu. “It’s the sheer volume and the fact that everyone comes for brunch, lunch and dinner.”
The restaurant sees about a 15 percent spike in receipts during the week, Troust said, a significant number since the restaurant is generally booked year-round.
Washington Restaurant Week launched post-Sept. 11 as a way to bring local visitors back into the region, said Victoria Isley, a spokeswoman for the Washington, D.C. Convention & Tourism Corp. About 70 restaurants participated the first year and it has steadily grown ever since.
In its 11th incarnation, this summer’s Restaurant Week — which runs through Sunday — includes 150 restaurants in the District, Maryland and Northern Virginia. Diners can eat three-course meals at lunch for $20.06 and dinner for $30.06, a price that is often well below what participating restaurants normally charge.
Big business
» The District is home to hundreds of restaurants that pump billions in to the local economy each year. In 2003, D.C. restaurants alone generated $4.36 billion in sales and employed 103,200 workers. Last year, the District’s 10 percent sales tax generated $233 million in revenue, up about 14 percent from the previous year.
