Beringer Vineyards has signed on to become the title sponsor of Denver’s second annual restaurant week, scheduled for Feb. 25 through March 3.
A total of 118 restaurants will participate in the Beringer Denver Restaurant Week, up from 83 eateries last year. Each will offer a two-person multicourse dinner for $52.80, or $26.40 for one person.
The food extravaganza is presented by the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Denver Newspaper Agency, which handles the business operations for The Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News and secured the Beringer sponsorship for an undisclosed sum.
More than 25,000 meals were sold during last year’s event, which accomplished its goal of raising the city’s dining reputation nationwide, said convention bureau spokesman Rich Grant.
In the 2005 Metropoll Study, a survey of top meeting planners regarding 40 U.S. cities, Denver jumped in ranking to 14th for good restaurants last year, up from 21st in 2004.
“This is about getting national exposure, but it’s also about developing a new local client base for our restaurants,” Grant said.
Participating eateries must pay between $350 and $450, funds that go toward marketing and advertising.
Larimer Square and Frontier Airlines are putting their own twist on the event. Frontier’s Early Returns participants can present their membership cards at any of the downtown shopping district’s eight restaurants to receive a $25 gift certificate good toward a Larimer Square purchase during March.
The Denver-based airline also is targeting customers in nine cities, including Tulsa, Okla., and Phoenix, who may want to fly to town to experience restaurant week by offering a 10 percent discount on flights.
Staff writer Julie Dunn can be reached at 303-820-1592 or jdunn@denverpost.com.
