NYC & COMPANY ANNOUNCES RESERVATIONS NOW OPEN FOR 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF NYC RESTAURANT WEEK

7/10/17


NYC & COMPANY ANNOUNCES RESERVATIONS NOW OPEN FOR 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF NYC RESTAURANT WEEK®


—Monthlong Signature Dining Program Takes Place July 24 through August 18 at Nearly 400 Restaurants Across Five Boroughs—


—First-Ever NYC Restaurant Week Summer Tasting Series Events Offer Exclusive Experience for Diners—


New York City (July 10, 2017) — NYC & Company, the City’s official destination marketing organization, today announced that reservations are now open for the 25th anniversary of NYC Restaurant Week. The monthlong program, first established in 1992 by Tim Zagat and Joe Baum, will take place July 24 through August 18 at 390 participating restaurants in all five boroughs. New Yorkers and visitors are invited to book reservations now at nycgo.com/restaurantweek to explore the City with their taste buds and experience 34 diverse cuisines in restaurants across 42 neighborhoods. The program features three-course prix-fixe lunches for $29 and three-course prix-fixe dinners for $42 (excludes beverages, gratuities, taxes; Saturday dining not included and Sundays optional). New this season, diners can attend four NYC Restaurant Week Summer Tasting Series events with exclusive menus and ticket sales benefiting local charities.


“NYC Restaurant Week has always been a unique celebration of dining in the world’s most exciting city and this summer is no different,” said Fred Dixon, NYC & Company president and CEO. “We are so pleased to be commemorating the program’s 25th anniversary milestone this summer and to acknowledge its continued success over so many years as an initiative that has not only sustained our dining sector during slower periods but has also provided New Yorkers and visitors with memorable experiences in the dining capital of the world.”


Consumers are invited to dine at four NYC Restaurant Week Summer Tasting Series events, each featuring an exclusive tasting menu of the venue’s NYC Restaurant Week menu with chef-selected wine pairings for $75 per person. Supporting local NYC charities City Harvest, Citymeals on Wheels and Food Bank NYC, tickets are limited and may be purchased starting July 13 at nycrestaurantweektastingseries.splashthat.com. The events are Bâtard Tribeca (Lower Manhattan) on July 24, Buttermilk Channel (Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn) on August 1, Maiella (Long Island City, Queens) on August 6, and Amada (Lower Manhattan) on August 14. 


NYC Restaurant Week was the first dining program of its kind, originating as a four-day dining promotion during the 1992 Democratic National Convention and was coined “NY92.” The program included just under 100 participating restaurants and was aimed to generate lunch business from visiting delegates. Instead, the program became extremely successful among New Yorkers who jumped at the opportunity to eat at fine-dining establishments for $19.92 per person, and the program has evolved ever since.


Among the restaurants participating this summer are 12 original participants from the 1992 season: Barbetta, Delmonico’s Restaurant, Felidia, Gallaghers Steakhouse, Gotham Bar & Grill, Le Cirque, The Russian Tea Room, Shun Lee Palace, Tavern on the Green, Tribeca Grill, Victor’s Cafe and The Water Club.


This season also features 33 new restaurant participants: Benjamin Steakhouse Prime, Bob’s Steak & Chop House, Boucherie, Bâtard, Cut by Wolfgang Puck, Farmer & The Fish, Feast, Fifty Restaurant, Flinders Lane, Fowler & Wells, Freds at Barneys New York–Downtown, The Gin Parlour, Haru Hell’s Kitchen, Jams, Lorenzo’s Restaurant, Bar & Cabaret, Lupulo, Meet the Meat, Mission Chinese Food, Nobu Downtown–Bar/Lounge, Ousia, Palm Tribeca, Philippe, Porsena, Rafele, The Ribbon, Rotisserie Georgette, Rouge Tomate Chelsea, Salvation Burger, Society Cafe, South Fin Grill, The Tuck Room, Untitled and Wallsé.


“The success and growth of NYC Restaurant Week over the past 25 years is an achievement the New York City dining community is very proud of,” said Tracy Nieporent, chairman of NYC & Company’s Restaurant Committee. “Dining is integral to the New York City experience, and NYC Restaurant Week allows us to showcase our vibrant, high-quality and world-class restaurants in both summer and winter by inviting diners to enjoy 34 diverse cuisines across all five boroughs.”


For the 25th anniversary edition of NYC Restaurant Week, NYC & Company’s creative campaign was reimagined to showcase New York City’s unique dining experience. Intended to drive you to explore all that the City’s restaurants have to offer, the creative features the primary tagline “Taste where it takes you” and various supporting lines, including “25 years of good taste,” “Break bread in another borough,” “Share a cab, hog a dessert,” and “Travel the world on your lunch hour.”


Campaign elements of NYC Restaurant Week include digital and print advertising; out-of-home advertising on NYC bus shelters, street pole banners and LinkNYC screens; and new this year, PATH train and station advertising. NYC Restaurant Week is also being promoted through exclusive content on NYCgo.com, including new neighborhood dining guides, a video campaign running in NYC taxicabs and online, and promotion through media partner Time Out New York.


NYC & Company’s long-standing corporate sponsor American Express will return with an exclusive offer for American Express® Card Members who participate in NYC Restaurant Week. Card Members can enroll any eligible American Express Card, use their enrolled Card to spend $35 or more in a single transaction at any participating restaurant and get a $5 statement credit up to four times when they dine between July 24 and August 18. Enrollment is required and is limited. Terms apply. To learn more and enroll in this offer, visit americanexpress.com/nycrestaurantweek.


NYC & Company collaborated with branding studio The Working Assembly on the new campaign, and creative agency Beautiful Destinations developed inspirational restaurant video content and imagery that will run in NYC taxicabs and on social media in promotion of NYC Restaurant Week.


“We were excited to collaborate with the NYC & Company team to develop a campaign for NYC Restaurant Week highlighting their 25-year celebration,” said Jolene Delisle, partner/creative director, The Working Assembly. “We wanted to ensure that the creative work reflected the fun and inclusivity of this much anticipated annual summer event.”


“Different flavors, scents and presentations of food embody cultures and traditions from around the world,” said Jeremy Jauncey, founder and CEO, Beautiful Destinations. “New York City brings all of these dishes to one place, providing an iconic, multicultural dining experience like no other. During NYC Restaurant Week, we are proud to share stories of food that represent various destinations, inspiring others to get out, explore and try new things.”


Additional partnerships this summer include booking partner OpenTable, WeWork, and James Beard Foundation. WeWork will distribute NYC Restaurant Week information at its various workspace locations throughout the City, and the James Beard Foundation will also promote dining content, including featuring the 46 eateries in this summer’s NYC Restaurant Week who are James Beard award winners.


Diners can follow @nycgo and @nycrestaurantweek on Instagram and @nycgo on Facebook and Twitter for NYC Restaurant Week content. Furthermore, an Instagram photo contest will award four weekly winners (one each week of the program) with $250 in gift cards from participating restaurants by using the program hashtag #NYCRestaurantWeek.


To view a full list of participants, make reservations, browse menus and more, visit nycgo.com/restaurantweek.























About NYC & Company:
NYC & Company is the official destination marketing organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For all there is to do and see in New York City, visit nycgo.com.



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Contact: NYC & Company/Chris Heywood 212-484-1270
      NYC & Company/Kim Klein 212-484-1270