The Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau wants to encourage local residents to eat at local restaurants. So beginning Sunday, it's sponsoring the first Quad Cities Restaurant Week. Spokeswoman Jessica Waytenick says 26 restaurants in this area have agreed to participate - some will offer discounts for their regular menu items, while others have developed special menus just for Restaurant Week.
And just as Be a Tourist in Your Own Backyard encourages Quad Cities residents to visit local attractions and stay in hotels and motels, the convention and visitors bureau hopes this will give people an extra reason to eat at a local restaurant. Waytenick says the bureau heard about restaurant week from other cities where it's been successful - increasing business by up to 20 per cent at some restaurants.
Restaurant Week begins Sunday and runs through next Saturday (3/2), and a list of the 26 participants can be found at qc restaurant week dot com.