Eateries in Downtown Manassas hope this year’s expanded restaurant week will spur new business.
The March 7 – 14 event has been dubbed “Northern Virginia Restaurant Week,” as several area chambers of commerce to include the Prince William Chamber banded together to promote this event as a regional event.
“By doing this, the hope is to get some national attention,” said Historic Manassas Inc. Director Debbie Haight.
Historic Manassas, Inc. partnered with the Prince William Chamber to allow all restaurants in Downtown to participate in the upcoming event without having to pay the $250 per restaurant participation fee.
A link to HMI’s website will appear on the comprehensive Northern Virginia Restaurant Week website, where participating Downtown Manassas restaurants will be listed.
“A lot of our restaurant owners wanted to participate, but just didn’t have the money, especially right after we just had 30 inches of snow,” said Haight.
Downtown Manassas restaurants will offer a two-course meal for $20, where you’ll get a salad and entree, or a three-course meal for $30 that will include appetizer, salad, and entree, said Haight.
Restaurants like Malones in Downtown Manassas, Onery Brewery in Woodbridge, and the Manor House Restaurant at Poplar Springs Inn in Fauquier County each paid to participate in Northern Virginia Restaurant Week, and will each have an individual listing on the comprehensive website that’s set to launch later this week.
Participating in restaurant week comes naturally to Bobby Lytle, co-owner of The Bone in Downtown. But paying a $250 fee — not so much.
“We’re going to participate because of the HMI deal, but I really don’t think of fast-casual restaurants like ours benefiting from restaurant week,” said Lytle. “It’s more of a D.C. thing.”
In Downtown Manassas, restaurant week happens in the spring and fall. Right now at Okras in Downtown Manassas, they’re thinking more about their annual Mardi Gras celebration than they area about restaurant week.
“We don’t yet have our menu planned, but we hope it’s going to generate some business for us,” said Chris Finne, manager at Okara.
The deadline for restaurants who want to sign up to participate in Northern Virginia Restaurant week was extended to February 11.
