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CHICAGO RESTAURANT WEEK 2024 CHAMPIONS COMMUNITY, UNITING FOOD LOVERS WITH MORE THAN 420 RESTAURANTS
CHICAGO, IL (February 21, 2024) – Choose Chicago, the city’s official destination marketing organization, is pleased to announce initial results of the ever-popular Chicago Restaurant Week (CRW). Produced annually by Choose Chicago, the 17th year of the beloved event was a resounding success, offering visitors and local foodies an exciting opportunity to experience Chicago’s internationally lauded culinary scene from Friday, January 19 through Sunday, February 4, 2024.
The highly anticipated event featured 423 participating restaurants – 61 more than last year, making it the largest Restaurant Week since 2020. 79 participants were women, minority and/or Black-owned enterprises, and a total of 87 eateries made their CRW debut, including a range of both new, showstopping destinations and established locales. The Chicago Restaurant Week website received record-setting traffic, showing that diners were eager to visit participating restaurants. The website saw 1.34 million page views, an increase of 7.2% compared to 2023, and over 430,000 clicks to find a table, 32% higher than last year.
“We are so pleased with the outcome of Chicago Restaurant Week,” said Rich Gamble, Interim President and CEO of Choose Chicago. “Seeing participation numbers reach such strong levels, and with more diversity than ever, tells us that restaurants are enthusiastic about both the exposure and economic impact. Chicagoans, in true form, didn’t let the winter season stand in their way – they came out in droves to experience the richness of our city’s culinary offerings, starting with First Bites Bash all the way through the program’s final day. It is an honor for our team to produce this celebration each year to help support our community in such a positive way.”
For 17 consecutive days, enthusiasts enjoyed specially curated prix fixe menus with prices set at $25 for brunch or lunch, and $42 and/or $59 for dinner (excluding beverages, tax and gratuity). Restaurant Week encouraged neighborhood exploration, with participating restaurants covering 33 distinct Chicago neighborhoods as well as 45 surrounding suburbs. Several restaurants reported such overwhelming demand that they opted to continue offering their menus for another week beyond CRW’s official conclusion.
“As a first-time participant, we were thrilled with the outcome of Chicago Restaurant Week,” said Jason Song, Owner of HOLU Asian steakhouse in Chinatown. “Our team welcomed hundreds of new guests, and the dining room was fully committed within a day of reservations becoming available. We had so much demand that we extended our menu by an additional week. There was great value to being involved, and HOLU looks forward to joining the celebration again in 2025.”
“Geja’s Cafe consistently sees an exceptional crowd during Chicago Restaurant Week, and we’ve been participating for several consecutive years,” said Jeff Lawler, Owner of Geja’s Cafe in Lincoln Park. “In fact, this year we saw an eight percent increase in Chicago Restaurant Week reservations over last year, proving that this initiative inspires diners, year after year, to support our city’s world-class dining scene.”
“Chicago Restaurant Week was a welcome initiative for us,” said acclaimed Chef/Owner Beverly Kim of Avondale’s Parachute restaurant. “Going into the slower winter months is challenging for any operation, and restaurant week really kept business momentum going for us. Every night felt like a Saturday night!”
Chicago Restaurant Week premiered Thursday, January 18 at First Bites Bash, the official kick-off event for Chicago Restaurant Week. The sold-out fete welcomed more than 1,600 guests at the Field Museum. Beloved Chicago Chef Dominique Leach of Lexington Betty Smokehouse stepped into the spotlight, serving as the Host Chef for the star-studded party. Guests had opportunity to experience exclusive tasting portions from more than 60 chefs showcasing their Chicago Restaurant Week menus, as well as enjoy wine, beer, spirits, entertainment and more. Choose Chicago and American Airlines awarded each of our charitable beneficiaries Pilot Light and the James Beard Foundation, a $5,000 donation to support their meaningful causes.
Chicago Restaurant Week 2024 was generously sponsored by 97.1 The Drive, Chicago’s Classic Rock, The New 100.3, SHE Loves the ‘90s & 2000s, 101.9 THE MIX, Today’s Variety, American Airlines, Acqua Panna®, the James Beard Foundation, Ritual Zero Proof, S.Pellegrino®, Society Insurance, and Tock.
Final numbers on total diners served and economic impact of Chicago Restaurant Week are being finalized and will be available in the coming months.
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About Choose Chicago
Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor and meetings destination, leveraging the city’s unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city, its residents and our partner business community. Follow @choosechicago on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and X/Twitter and tag #ChicaGOandKNOW. For more information, visit choosechicago.com.
