Restaurant week initiative set for Edwardsville/Glen Carbon

The Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce is again spearheading the community’s award-winning restaurant week dining campaign, SAVOR 2018, to be held from Friday, Sept. 21, through Sunday, Sept. 30.

A total of 14 Ed/Glen Chamber member restaurants are participating, along with five key media and marketing partners.

“SAVOR 2018 is a salute to our community’s restaurateurs, cuisine and diners, and a celebration of the delicious fare that makes our region a culinary hot spot,” said Desiree Bennyhoff, Ed/Glen Chamber president and chief executive officer. “The 10-day campaign features a special opportunity for diners to visit old favorites and try new restaurants that have opened in our market.”

Specially priced lunch and dinner offerings – at convenient price points of $10 for lunch and $25 for dinner – will be highlighted by each participating dining establishment in addition to the regular menu. Several participating restaurants are also featuring signature event glassware as part of their offer.

The 14 participating SAVOR 2018 restaurants are: 1818 Chophouse, Andria’s Countryside Restaurant, Bella Milano Edwardsville, Big Daddy’s Edwardsville, Chava’s Mexican Restaurant, Clean Eatz Edwardsville, Cleveland-Heath, Doc’s Smokehouse & Catering, Edison’s Entertainment Complex, Hot Shots Sports Bar & Grill, Mike Shannon’s Grill, Peel Wood Fired Pizza, Source Juicery and Sugo’s Spaghetteria.

The Ed/Glen Chamber’s inaugural 2016 restaurant week was nationally recognized with an ‘Award of Excellence’ from the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. The 2018 campaign received an endorsement from the state of Illinois as an official part of the Illinois Bicentennial celebration “We are proud to have the stamp of approval from the Illinois Bicentennial commission, making this year’s SAVOR initiative an official component of the larger celebration across the state. Being a part of the #IllinoisProud effort is fitting, as our featured restaurants have been ‘Born, Built & Grown’ in Illinois through the significant investments of their respective owners and operators,” Bennyhoff said.

Media and marketing partners include: Robert “Chick” Fritz Inc., Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau, WSIE 88.7 The Sound, Illinois Business Journal and the Illinois Bicentennial committee.

Katie Haas, coordinator of SAVOR 2018 and the chamber’s membership director, says the initiative’s primary purpose is to support and serve local restaurateurs who are faithful members of the Ed/Glen Chamber. “Driving trips and transactions into our hardworking, quality- and value-driven dining community is what we’re all about,” Haas said. “The Ed/Glen Chamber is a member-driven organization that is dedicated to a strong, private-sector regional economy,” she said. “To that end, we are fiercely committed to serving as a mission-critical catalyst for business success – and that includes serving our unique market sectors such as the local restaurant industry. We’re proud of the unique dining destinations we serve, and we invite the public to sample and celebrate them September 21-30.”

Daily gift certificate prize drawings have taken place since Monday, Sept. 17, and menu details are available on SAVOR 2018©’s Facebook page, facebook.com/EdGlenRestaurantWeek. Enter the Facebook contest for the opportunity to win the daily drawings – one lucky winner will receive a grand prize bundle featuring a gift card from each participating restaurant, valued at $350.

For more information, call the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce at (618) 656-7600.