GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Get ready, foodies! Grand Rapids Restaurant Week has kicked off, and local restaurants are ready to debut their new menus to celebrate.
This is the 14th year that Experience GR has hosted Restaurant Week. The annual event lets Grand Rapids showcase food across the city. More than 50 local businesses will feature special menus, discounts and gifts from Friday, Nov. 3 until Saturday, Nov. 11.
To participate, all you need to do is download the digital Restaurant Week pass. It will be texted to you and is ready to use immediately — there is no app to download. As you visit restaurants participating in Restaurant Week, you can check in using the pass and earn points, which can win you a free prize.
Each restaurant is offering two pricing options: Two courses for less than $25 or two or more courses for more than $25. Kate Lieto, associate VP of marketing with Experience GR, said some restaurants are offering up to five-course meals.
She said Restaurant Week aims to highlight the local restaurants in Grand Rapids as well as encourage West Michiganders to branch out with their food options.
"So that's really our goal is to get new people trying new foods, whether that's at their old favorite restaurant, trying a new menu item or trying a brand new location they've never been," she said.
It's also a great opportunity for restaurants to try something new, too.
"We also see restaurants that are, they want to try something new, but maybe they don't want to commit to their full menu so they oftentimes use Restaurant Week as that time to try something new, a little bit more creative, a little bit different and see how it's received," Lieto said.
She said sometimes restaurants trying a new menu item may add it to their regular menu if it does well during Restaurant Week.
For more information, to download your pass or to see the list of participating businesses, visit the Restaurant Week website here.
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