Maine Restaurant Week kicks off March 1-12
Chefs and restaurant owners have been gearing up for the 17th annual event, held March 1-12, bringing much-needed business during the slow season.
PORTLAND, Maine — Maine Restaurant Week is back for its 17th year. For local chefs and restaurant owners, it couldn’t come at a better time.
For many restaurant owners, the winter season in Maine can be tough. That’s what inspired the annual event, in an effort to give local eateries a boost of business.
Maine Restaurant Week co-founder Gillian Britt said customer support goes beyond just the restaurants themselves.
“You’re supporting far more than just the restaurant you’re visiting,” Britt explained. “It has a real effect throughout the community, because there are also the vendors that supply the restaurant, there are the servers that work in the restaurants, and there’s this impact that can be felt by many.”
This year’s event runs March 1-12, with dozens of restaurants across the state offering special prix fixe menus and deals.
Chef David Turin of David’s is a veteran in the restaurant industry and runs three businesses in Portland and South Portland. Turin said he welcomes the challenge of preparing for the influx of diners.
“There’s a lot of words to describe 40-some-odd years doing this, from joy and elation to fear to plain-out fun,” Turin said.
While Portland’s food scene remains lively, Turin said rising costs and increased competition make steady business more difficult to maintain.
“Chefs and owners are just so grateful to see your smiling faces in a slow time, because there’s nothing a chef hates more than [having] nothing to do,” Turin added.
Participating in the event also allows restaurants to introduce new customers to their menus and build a following ahead of the busy summer season.
That is especially crucial for newer establishments like Thames Landing.
“If a customer has never heard of us, and they’re just like, ‘Let’s go try out Thames Landing,’ we can show them what we have to offer,” owner Renae Roy said. “We have the igloos, we have complimentary valet.”
