COLUMBUS, Ohio — 614 Restaurant Week is underway in Columbus and local restaurants are looking forward to the boost in business.
“I am expecting a line out the door,” said Ronanda Perkins, general manager of Katzinger’s Delicatessen in German Village.
Katzinger’s is one of more than 150 restaurants in Columbus offering deals on three course meals. Restaurants have set prices ranging from $15 to $50.
”Even just us for $20, you get a sample of soup and a sandwich and a desert. So for anyone who just wants to try a restaurant, it is nice to pay a little money see if you like it then you will come back and spend more,” Perkins said.
January is an important time of the year to support restaurants, according to John Barker, president & CEO of Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance.
“[January] is the slowest month of the year for obvious reasons: it is weather... it is post-holiday... Some people say they are going to go dry January, some people are on diets or going to the health club for the first time in eleven months,” Barker said.
Restaurants are also still bouncing back from the losses during the pandemic.
Barker said there has also been a 25% increase in food costs over the last three years, and 20% increase in labor costs over the last two years.
“Restaurant Week is really intended to get more people in sales up and to really help with all those costs and to keep employees working. So many of our employees particularly at sit down restaurants depend on tips to make a good living,” Barker said.
For Columbus institutions like Katzinger’s and newer institutions like Saucy Works Brewing, Restaurant Week is an opportunity to reach new customers.
“A lot of new customers are coming in who have never been here before so they will come back for deals at other times during the week and they see how good quality our food is and they get a great deal,” said Tyler Bruce, general manager of Saucy Works Brewing.
Bruce said January is the slowest month at his restaurant so the timing of Restaurant Week could not be better.
“It is really nice to get that one week of everyone coming out and rebooting the economy and getting us jump-started for the rest of the year,” Bruce said.
Restaurant Week deals are available through January 27.