Restaurants across Connecticut are participating in a statewide Restaurant Week by offering special menus for a multicourse meal with a fixed price of $20.12.
From Oct. 8 through Oct. 14, 100 restaurants in Connecticut will participate in the fifth annual Connecticut Restaurant Week, in which eateries statewide offer meals for a reduced price. In addition, participating restaurants will offer a Pink Drink Special as part of Pink Power, a year-long campaign to raise awareness and money for Connecticut breast cancer research sponsored by WTNH Channel 8 and Connecticut Breast Health Initiative.
Menus offered may include a three-course meal, two-for-one specials or a specialty-priced bottle of wine.
“Restaurant Week provides diners with a unique opportunity to go out and enjoy a great meal at a great price. Restaurants from Mystic to Stamford to Litchfield are participating in this year’s event,” said Nicole Griffin, executive director of Connecticut Restaurant Association, in a press release. “Restaurants and customers alike benefit from this great week of meals and deals. Connecticut is home to so many wonderful varieties of cuisines and Restaurant Week is a fantastic way to showcase them.”
According to the Connecticut Restaurant Week website, there are three restaurants in New Haven participating in the promotions: Carmen Anthony Steakhouse of New Haven, Consiglio’s and Sage American Restaurant. Toad’s Place will also feature a Pink Drink Special this week, according to the restaurant week’s website.
Connecticut Restaurant Week has given business a boost in years past, said Scott Scalabrino, the general manager of Carmen Anthony Steakhouse of New Haven. Though the increase in number of customers in years past has not been as noticeable as it typically is during the annual New Haven Restaurant Week in November, he said, the statewide Restaurant Week has definitely led to an influx of customers which he said he expects to see again this year.
But New Haven restaurants may not see much more business from Yalies this week. Out of 20 students surveyed, none said that they were likely to take advantage of Restaurant Week promotions.
A major reason for students’ lack of interest in the promotion, the majority of students surveyed said, is because of the inaccessibility of the participating restaurants. All three of the New Haven restaurants participating in Restaurant Week are about a mile from Yale’s main campus. Many students also said they prefered eating in dining halls over restaurants.
“Twenty dollars isn’t all that cheap,” Daniel Kovalcik ’15 said. “And walking off campus is a hassle.”
The restaurants’ distance from campus may be hurting their name recognition among students, as one student, Kim Fabian ’15 said she was unfamiliar with the three participating restaurants.
New Haven Restaurant Week, Connecticut Restaurant Week’s citywide counterpart, will be from Nov. 11 through Nov. 16 this year.
Interested in getting more news about New Haven? Join our newsletter!