After another rip-roaring York Restaurant Week, its organisers have revealed that the initiative has generated more than £1 million for the city.
The York Business Improvement District (BID) has now staged eight restaurant weeks, featuring special food and drink offers in cafés, bars and restaurants.
Together, they have generated an estimated £1.13 million for hospitality businesses in the city centre.
The latest restaurant week ran from 9-15 October, and included two higher price options at £25 and £30 for the first time.
It has been described as a “massive success” by delighted restaurateurs, who said it had a “significantly positive impact” on their businesses.
Altogether 13,000 vouchers were downloaded from the website, down from 15,473 during the March week – but the income they generated was up from £234K to £238K, a new record.
Eighty-two businesses took part, creating 163 special foodie offers. That means means York Restaurant Week had an average monetary value of £2,900 for each business involved.
What they said
“With our York restaurant being nearly a year old, it’s been great working with the York BID since opening our doors, and with the recent York Restaurant Week taking place, we were excited to join. Having seen an increase in pre-bookings and additional brand awareness in the city; we wouldn’t hesitate to sign up again next year.”
– Nick Fountain, head of marketing and communications for Fat Hippo
“York Restaurant Week was a massive success for us at Tomahawk Steakhouse. It offered the opportunity for us to welcome both regular and new guests into our restaurant to sample some of our á la carte menu and purposely created new dishes at a reduced cost. It is a great promotional offer by York BID for the city, which we are always happy to take part in. We’re glad to hear that our menu offer received one of the biggest numbers of voucher downloads!”
– Jamie Kilday, general manager of Tomahawk Steakhouse
“York Restaurant Week has made a significantly positive impact on our businesses, attracting a noticeable increase in foot traffic throughout the week. This annual event consistently introduces us to new customers who may not have dined at our establishments previously, offering them a taste of what our restaurants are all about. Particularly in the current economic climate, it plays a vital role in encouraging people to come out and enjoy our offerings while contributing to the local economy.”
– Georgina Vasili, marketing manager for York Minster Refectory/Star Inn The City
“With the current cost of living crisis squeezing many household budgets, we’re thrilled with the outstanding results from the week. It’s humbling to see so many diners supporting restaurants, cafes, street food vendors and bars, and such a wide variety of offers from the participating eateries. We’re excited to showcase the best of York’s culinary scene again in March 2024.”
– Chris Bush, York BID business manager