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In 2000, one of Ponti’s managers was in New York City and discovered the "Restaurant Week" program. Twice a year for two weeks (winter and summer), restaurants offer three-course meals for a set price. In New York, Joe Baum (former owner of the Rainbow Room) and Tim Zagat (of Zagat guides) came up with the idea in 1992 and the original cost of the three-course meal was $19.92. The program now involves many more restaurants and the price has increased.

Ponti’s manager brought the concept back to Richard. Working on a Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF) benefit at the W Seattle, Richard thought it was a great idea and began talking to other restaurant people at the JDRF event. Karl Bruno, then Food & Beverage Director at the W Seattle; Mo Shaw, General Manager at Ray’s Boathouse; and Christine Keff, chef/owner of Flying Fish all thought it was something to pursue. Richard also took the idea to Frank Blethen and Mike Lemke at The Seattle Times and to Jamie Peha, then at the Washington Wine Commission. Lissa Gruman was working with the W Seattle on public relations and marketing; Karl donated her time at the W to the project. Allan Aquila of Yarrow Bay Grill and Beach Café at the Point came on board.

"It was hard to recruit restaurants to participate," recalls Lissa. "It hadn’t been done before here, but we pulled together in a very collaborative fashion." Richard remembers that "We decided to do 25 for $25 but we only got about 20 restaurants. We worked very hard to come up with five more." The group decided to hold the promotion during March and November, notoriously slow months in Seattle’s restaurant industry. The first promotion took place in March 2001.

Once put together, it took off like a shot. "It was one of those promotions that was successful the first time out of the gate," says Lissa. It’s easy to understand why consumers like it—a great price can get you into a fine dining restaurant you might overlook otherwise or feel you can’t afford. It has group appeal—6-8 people at a time are not uncommon. Lots of women use it as a gathering focal point. It also creates a sense of ‘dining urgency.’ It’s easy to say you want to try a place out, but when you can only get this price and this menu for a certain period of time, you do it."

Photo: Richard Malia at Ponti

For the restaurants, it offers some marketing power that isn’t generally available to independents and small operations and gets people into their venue during slow eating-out months. It also brings in new customers as well as returning guests. "One of the best benefits of the program on the restaurant side," says Richard, "is that we’ve all become friends through the process. I’m very proud of the fact that we’ve showcased how local restaurants can work together. We’re doing something that’s mutually beneficial. In fact, sometime in the first 3-4 years, American Express did a survey that showed increased sales in those months over previous years for the restaurants involved. But the great thing is that it showed that all restaurant sales went up, even for those not involved with the promotion."

As with all successful things, the group has been pressed to add more restaurants. In 2007, the group changed the name to Dine Around Seattle, added five more restaurants and increased the price of a three-course meal to $30. "At the restaurants involved, $30 is a huge value for a three-course meal," says Lissa. "Food costs are high, but restaurants know they have to provide value for the money or the program doesn’t work."

"We’ve talked about including the whole city, but it’s a big job to run something like that," explains Richard. "In New York, it’s runs by the visitor and convention bureau, not a small group like us. We tried to interest larger groups to take it on, but that hasn’t happened." In addition, there are millions of people in New York. Seattle may not have the population base to support a wide-open promotion.

Now starting its seventh year, Dine Around Seattle is eagerly awaited by its legion of fans. And new restaurant promotions have been modeled on its structure. Seattle now has New Urban Eats (newly opened restaurants) and Seasoned Seattle (restaurants established 1988 or earlier). Gaining exposure for the wonderful array of restaurants in the Puget Sound area can only be a good thing. Get out there and dine!

March 2008

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