Chefs gather last month to kick off Dine LA Restaurant Week.
Since the first restaurant week in 1992 (New York City claims it), culinary capitals across the country have replicated the formula. Once or twice a year for a week – sometimes two – eateries offer bargain priced, prix-fixe, three course lunches and dinners.
On the one hand, diners love it. Dine LA, which operates Los Angeles’s Restaurant Week, reported an increase in revenue and covers (restaurant-speak for the number of diners) of 17 and 22 percent respectively, between last autumn’s and this past winter’s events alone.
On the other hand, with a promo like this, I’m always leery of the sort of glitches reported by early users of Groupon: specials being underpriced and oversold, and restaurants ending up in the soup.
Read the rest of the story on my Seat 1A blog on Forbes.