Get Ready for Restaurant Week in the Village

Hoping to drum up interest in local merchants while taking advantage of Maplewood’s small-town feel, the Maplewood Village Alliance (MVA) is holding its first restaurant week in the village, which will run March 2 through March 8. 

During the week, township restaurants will offer specials, ranging from lower prices on select items to prix fixe meals. Select shops will offer specials as well. The organizers hope to draw in customers from outside the town’s borders, as well as Maplewood residents who, for one reason or another, haven’t checked out the town’s restaurants.

“We want to encourage people to spend time in the village, visit restaurants that, perhaps, they haven't been to yet and take advantage of the special promotions offered by those restaurants and the merchants as well” the MVA’s Amy Koehler said. 

Restaurant Week is the pet project of Arturo’s owner Dan Richer.

“It’s a way for the entire business community to collectively promote Maplewood as a whole and our individual businesses,” Richer said.

In conceiving the restaurant week event, he was looking for a chance to grow his business and develop the surrounding community.

“The common thought is that there are not enough people coming to town on a regular basis to sustain great businesses,” he said, stressing the need for Village businesses to work together. “Everyone benefits when the downtown thrives, but no one person or business can make the town thrive.”

Most Village restaurants (the exceptions are Sona and Bill and Harry’s Take Out) and Verjus on Springfield Avenue are offering lunch and dinner specials. According to Koehler, the restaurants and stores “all were totally on board with it and happy to participate.”

St James's Gate and Crane’s are offering lunches for $10; New World Catering has one for $7.95; and Bagel Chateau is giving potato salad away with the purchase of various deli sandwiches. 

Village Trattoria, Roman Gourmet, and Samurai Sushi are offering unspecified specials throughout the week. The rest—Maple Leaf Diner, Luke’s Kitchen, Verjus, Lorena’s, Arturo’s and Cent’Anni—are offering three- and four-course dinners ranging from $12.95 to $39. 

Even the Village Ice Cream Parlour is getting in on the fun, offering a buy-one-get-one free with a receipt from participating restaurants.

Local merchant stores are also getting in on the deal. The merchants are offering a special savings coupon book that is needed to redeem their discounts and can be found at the restaurants.

“With most of the retail stores participating as well, it will be even more of a reason for people to come to town,” Richer said.

He added: “Each store is unique and offers an individualized personality that large retailers and shopping malls cannot compete with. The general public needs to understand this and [Restaurant Week] was a perfect avenue.”

Many stores including Little One & Co, Perch Home, Scriveners, Village Wine Shop, Lotus Petals and Tic Tac Toes are offering five to 20 percent discounts on purchases.

Maplewood Travel and Maplewood Pet Shop are giving away free items. And, other shops—Truly Yours, Core, Mona Lisa and the Tenth Muse Gallery—are offering other specials.

Richer noted that despite how the program was arranged at the last minute, it was met with enthusiasm. He said that if it goes well, “we’ll definitely promote it more” next year.

As for future restaurant weeks, Koehler predicts “We originally said that if it's a success we'll do it on a yearly basis. But I can already say without doubt that we will do it again, just based on the feedback we've already received. And it hasn't even started yet.”

Koehler also notes that “a lot of excitement [has been] generated from the e-blast that we sent out to everyone on the various merchants' email lists.” Richer echoes that.

“In my eyes, [Restaurant Week] is already somewhat successful," he said. "We have spurred unity among many of the business owners and triggered collective creativity for the continued development of Maplewood Village.” 

The end goal is that by offering great deals, patrons will come to try new restaurants and shops, defy the cabin fever from this bitter winter, and engage the local economy as well.