February 7, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 7, 2013
For more information,
Contact: Amanda Shell
Moxley Carmichael
(865) 255-0661
Put away your pots and pans for a week and get ready to dine out for a great cause. Reservations are already pouring in for the third annual Knoxville Restaurant Week, Feb. 24-March 1.
Knoxville Restaurant Week returns to offer Knoxville diners a special week of great meals to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee. Each restaurant will offer three-course meals at $25 or $35 fixed prices with $5 of each fixed price dinner going to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee.
“Knoxville has some really good places to eat. We have some exceptional restaurants and some amazing chefs, and we want to encourage people to find out what’s out here,” said Paul Hohe, general manager of Ruth’s Chris Steak House. “Restaurant Week is a fantastic way for the restaurants to showcase what they have on offer and attract new guests, and it has the potential to be a major event for the city and a huge tourist draw. And, of course, we’re raising money for Second Harvest Food Bank, a very worthwhile charity.”
Restaurant Week fans will be glad to know that past Restaurant Week favorites, including Fleming’s, The Orangery, The Melting Pot, Brazeiro’s, Ruth’s Chris Steak House and many more, are returning for a third year with sumptuous new specialty menus. For 2013, several newcomers are also joining the roster, including Tupelo Honey Café.
More than 30 participating local restaurants are currently accepting reservations now for the week-long event. Making reservations early is important because popular restaurants fill up as the week approaches.
Diners are encouraged to go the Knoxville Restaurant Week website, http://www.knoxvillerestaurantweek.com, browse through the listed menus and select a participating restaurant and then call or e-mail the restaurant directly to make a reservation for this special week.
Knoxville Restaurant Week benefits the East Tennessee region in many ways. First, Restaurant Week drives traffic to restaurants at a typically slow period for the industry. Second, the city of Knoxville sees increased economic activity by Knoxville residents and visitors dining out at restaurants.
Finally, Second Harvest Food Bank receives donations to feed the hungry in the region. Last year, Restaurant Week raised more than $30,000 and provided meals for more than to 60,000 needy East Tennesseans.
“Knoxville Restaurant Week benefits everyone involved,” said Elaine Streno, executive director of Second Harvest of East Tennessee. “This event feeds thousands of hungry East Tennesseans, while providing an excellent dining experience for patrons and driving sales and economic impact to the restaurants. That’s why this fundraiser is so much fun!”
Pilot Travel Centers LLC is the presenting sponsor of this event. Other sponsors include more than 30 leading Knoxville restaurants, US Foods, the City of Knoxville, Knox County, Visit Knoxville, Greater Knoxville Hospitality Association, the Knoxville News Sentinel and Moxley Carmichael.
Knoxville restaurants may still register to participate by visiting the website or calling Teri Lux at 865-521-0000.
Participating restaurants include:
- Bayou Bay
- Bella Luna
- Brazeiros
- Chesapeake’s
- Central Flats & Taps
- Club Le Conte
- Connors Steak & Seafood
- Copper Cellar (2 locations)
- Echo Bistro & Wine Bar
- Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
- Latitude 35
- Nama (2 locations)
- Naples Italian Restaurant
- Northshore Brasserie
- Restaurant Linderhof
- RouXbarb
- Ruth’s Chris Steak House
- Seasons (2 locations)
- Surin of Thailand
- The Bistro at the Bijou
- The Chop House (all Knoxville Locations)
- The Grill at Highlands Row
- The Market Café at the Hilton Knoxville
- The Melting Pot
- The Orangery
- Tupelo Honey Café*
- Volunteer Princess Cruises
- Windows on the Park at the Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park Downtown
- Wok Chow
- Ye Olde Steak House
*Will not accept reservations.
About Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee
Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, a member of Feeding America, has worked to eliminate hunger since 1982. In 2012, this organization provided food for more than 12.2 million meals in 18 counties in East Tennessee. With nine major programs and 525 Agency/Food Partners, Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee serves approximately 168,000 people each month.
