NYC Restaurant Week returns with 570 local restaurants and to-go options
Photo by Samantha Box, courtesy of NYC & Company
New York City Restaurant Week is now Restaurant Month. Due to popular demand, NYC Restaurant Week To Go, which launched on Monday, will run through February 28 instead of on Sunday as originally planned. During the month, diners can buy one bargain meal for delivery or takeout for $20.21, which includes an entree and at least one side, from each restaurant. According to NYC & Company, the city’s tourism agency behind the program, a record 570 restaurants in over 100 neighborhoods are participating this year.
The list of participating restaurants can be found here. The establishments are grouped by different categories like “Black-Owned,” “NYC Classics,” “Date Night,” “Fry-Yay!,” “Winter Warm-Up,” “The Slice Is Right,” “Editors’ Picks,” and “Stella Artois To Go,” which includes restaurants serving Stella Artois, the program’s beverage sponsor.
“Restaurants and restaurant workers need our support now more than ever, so it was important to us that all eateries across the five boroughs had the opportunity to participate in this program aimed at increasing local support,” Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company, said in a press release.
“We are thrilled that more than 570 restaurants have signed on, and we are grateful to each of them for coming together to showcase NYC’s world-class cuisine during this reimagined NYC Restaurant Week. And to New Yorkers we say make plans to do your part – order often and be generous with gratuities.”
Some notable participants of this year’s Restaurant Week include José Andrés’ Mercado Little Spain, Tren’ness Woods-Black’s Sylvia’s, Daniel Boulud’s Bar Boulud and Epicerie Boulud, Leah Cohen’s Pig & Khao, Keith McNally’s Minetta Tavern and Pastis, Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster, Melba Wilson’s Melba’s, and many more.
Mastercard, the official program sponsor, are providing registered cardholders a $10 statement credit on each NYC Restaurant Week To Go purchase of $20.21 for up to 10 transactions total or until the $100 credit limit is reached under the All In NYC: Neighborhood Getaways promotion.
NYC Restaurant Week, now in its 29th year, usually comes twice a year with Prix-fix meals offered at $26 for two-course lunches and $42 for three-course dinners. The promotion may also be used at restaurants with outdoor dining where available.
Some delivery platforms have agreed to discount commissions or waive their subscription fees for restaurants during the promotion, including Seamless and Grubhub, BentoBox, Bbot, and Tock. This year NYC & Company also waived the fee usually required for restaurants to participate in the program. Restaurants can sign up to participate here.
According to a report released on Thursday by the state’s Department of Labor, New York City restaurants and bars lost 140,700 jobs over the past year, with roughly 11,700 jobs lost just between last November and December alone. Andrew Rigie, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, said the most recent job loss is likely linked to permanent restaurant closures, the state’s closure of indoor dining, and the colder temperatures.
“If New York City is to pull itself out of this economic grave and gain jobs, we must safely bring back regulated indoor dining like it’s permitted in the rest of New York State, and the Biden Administration and Congress must enact the RESTAURANTS Act stimulus plan very soon,” Rigie said.
Editor’s note 1/29/21: This post has been updated with the program’s end date, now extended through February.
