Denver Restaurant Week Sets New Record with 351 Restaurants Participating

DENVER, Feb. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The 9th annual Denver Restaurant Week (DRW), organized by VISIT DENVER and presented by Lexus, has set a new record with a total of 351 restaurants participating, up 4 percent from 339 last year.

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The 14-day dining celebration will be held from February 23 to March 8, 2013, with all 351 participating restaurants offering a multi-course dinner for the "mile high" price of $52.80 for two ($26.40 for one), tax and tip not included. 

"We believe that with 351 restaurants, Denver Restaurant Week is the largest restaurant week in the nation," said Richard Scharf, president & CEO of VISIT DENVER, the event's owner and originator.

Last year, a record 404,400 meals were served and interest appears to be up in 2013.  "On just the first day the menus were available at DenverRestaurantWeek.com we had more than one million page views," Scharf said.  As of Friday, Feb. 8, prospective diners had looked at more than 3.3 million pages of menus, an average of eight menus per visit to the site.

Scharf noted that in 2013, there are:

• 82 new restaurants participating in DRW for the first time
• 195 restaurants offering vegetarian options
• 26 restaurants offering gluten-free options
• 82 restaurants offering beer, wine or drinks as part of their DRW menu, with many offering high-quality, affordable wines from Gallo Wineries via their program with participating restaurants
• And 94 restaurants in just downtown Denver

"DRW really highlights the incredible culinary scene we have in Denver and the price point creates a wonderful opportunity to try new restaurants, share those experiences with your friends and return again," Scharf said.

While some popular restaurants are already sold out with reservations for all 14 days, Scharf noted that there are still plenty of restaurants with availability.  "The fun of DRW is trying new places," Scharf said.  The 351 restaurants are listed at DenverRestaurantWeek.com by name, cuisine and neighborhood.

Scharf offered some tips on getting reservations:

• If you really want to dine at a certain restaurant that is already booked, try sitting at the bar – or just try showing up, since there are frequently cancellations
• Go to OpenTable.com and click on the Denver Restaurant Week Page.  Enter the time and date you would like, and click the "Find a table" button.  The page will show you which of the 212 DRW restaurants on Open Table have availability. 
• On the DenverRestaurantWeek.com site, click on a restaurant menu, and then hit the "Add to Must-Dine List."  This will then show up on your Facebook page, letting all your friends know that you are interested in dining at this restaurant and seeing if anyone wants to join you.  

Scharf also reminded diners to honor their reservations, call the restaurant ahead of time if you must cancel, and be generous to your servers.

This year, VISIT DENVER is pleased to announce the inclusion of Lexus, joining Denver Restaurant Week as the presenting sponsor. Throughout this year's event, diners will be encouraged to participate in a special "Take a Test Drive, Have Dinner On Us" promotion that will award hundreds of $52.80 gift certificates to qualified drivers who take a Lexus test drive at any of their three metro Denver area locations. Details of the contest can be found on the Denver Restaurant Week website.

In addition, DRW sponsor Frontier Airlines is offering a 10 percent discount on spring travel by booking through FlyFrontier.com using the promotional code: DENVER10. The offer is exclusive for Denver Restaurant Week, and is valid for use on a domestic flight booked now through March 8, 2013, to fly between April 9 through June 6, 2013. 

Denver Restaurant Week 2013 would not be possible without the generous support of sponsors including: Alamos Winery, Edna Valley Vineyard, Mirassou Winery, Louis M. Martini Winery, William Hill Winery, US Foods, Frontier Airlines, Johnsons & Wales University, The Denver Post, 5280 Magazine, 9News, Westword, Open Table, RTD, the Colorado Restaurant Association and the Downtown Denver Partnership Business Improvement District.

For more information, visit:  DenverRestaurantWeek.com.

About VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau
Celebrating more than 100 years of promoting the Mile High City, VISIT DENVER is a nonprofit trade association that contracts with the City of Denver to market Denver as a convention and leisure destination, increasing economic development in the city, creating jobs and generating taxes. Tourism is the second largest industry in Denver, generating $3.3 billion in annual spending in 2011, while supporting nearly 50,000 jobs. Learn more about Denver on the VISITDENVER website and at TOURISMPAYSDENVER, on Twitter @iknowdenver and the VISIT DENVER Facebook page, or by phone at 800 2 DENVER.

With press or photo inquiries, please contact:
Rich Grant: (303) 571-9450 or [email protected]
Debbie Park: (303) 571-9451 or [email protected]
Katie Converse: (303) 571-9418 or [email protected]

SOURCE VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau