WORLD BUSINESS CHICAGO ACTIVATES DINNER CONVERSATIONS AS A NEW "WORD OF MOUTH" CAMPAIGN FOR CHICAGO

Chicago Restaurant Week | January 23 – February 8, 2026

CHICAGO, Jan. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- World Business Chicago is launching a new phase of its Just the Facts campaign during Chicago Restaurant Week 2026, bringing the city's most compelling economic and business facts out of digital channels and directly onto the dinner table through a new, interactive experience.

The pilot will debut at La Dolce Vita Cucina, a locally owned Italian restaurant at 5007 W. Irving Park Road in Portage Park. During Chicago Restaurant Week (January 23–February 8), produced by Choose Chicago, the restaurant will feature a signature dinner entrée—The World Business Chicago Pasta—created in honor of the collaboration, alongside Chicago-themed drink specials including The Ben Johnson Handshake (Malört and Peroni) and The Chi-Town Nitro Negroni (nitro Hendrick's gin, vermouth, Campari, and blood orange syrup). Iconic films shot in Chicago will play throughout the restaurant, reinforcing the city's role as both a global economic powerhouse and a cultural icon.

In addition, diners will receive Bingo cards that pair real, fact-based insights about Chicago's economy, talent, and infrastructure with popular menu favorites from La Dolce Vita Cucina. As dinner conversations unfold, guests are invited to check off squares when Chicago facts—or dishes—are mentioned at the table. Completing a row, column, or diagonal earns BINGO and an entry into a drawing for prizes that celebrate Chicago's world-class cultural ecosystem. Prizes include tickets and experiences from Auditorium Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Second City, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Poetry Foundation, the Studebaker Theater, along with culinary experiences from the Illinois Restaurant Association and La Dolce Vita Cucina. Select prizes will be awarded on opening night, with additional drawings held each Friday and Saturday throughout Chicago Restaurant Week.

"This grew out of our broader strategy to address misinformation and outdated stereotypes about Chicago—narratives that often take hold online, where the city is either unfairly attacked or overly simplified," said Andrew Hayes, Vice President of Marketing & Communications at World Business Chicago. "By making Chicago the topic of conversation at the dinner table during Chicago Restaurant Week, we're intentionally moving the narrative off screens and into in-person experiences—where word of mouth is shaped through conversation and shared moments." 

Sample Chicago facts featured in the Chicago Bingo activation include:

• #1 city for corporate relocations
• $927B economy — most diverse in the U.S.
• Six Class I railroads. Ten interstates.
• O'Hare: major U.S. trade gateway
• Skyscrapers and house music started here

"There are many reasons we're proud to operate a business in Chicago," said David Roa, owner of La Dolce Vita Cucina. "This city's neighborhoods, people, and economic energy are what make places like ours possible. We are grateful to Choose Chicago for producing Chicago Restaurant Week. It gives us a chance to celebrate Chicago's culinary industry—and with World Business Chicago's help, over dinner we can have great conversations about our beloved city."

World Business Chicago is evaluating how to scale the pilot across the city, using experiential activations to reach broader audiences while connecting civic pride, economic storytelling, and local commerce.

CHICAGO RESTAURANT WEEK DETAILS

Chicago Restaurant Week 2026 features a record 500+ restaurants citywide offering prix fixe menus at: chicagorestaurantweek.com

About La Dolce Vita Cucina

La Dolce Vita Cucina is a locally owned Italian restaurant located at 5007 W. Irving Park Road in Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood, offering house-made pasta and gelato, an extensive wine list, craft cocktails, and a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere.
ladolcevitacucina.net

About World Business Chicago

World Business Chicago is the City of Chicago's economic development organization, focused on promoting business growth, investment, and job creation across Chicago's neighborhoods.
worldbusinesschicago.com

SOURCE World Business Chicago