Promotional incentives encourage culinary exploration

City’s restaurant week an experience to savor

By Mae Strehlow

Interview Featuring

Amy Albright

Oshkosh Convention and Visitors Bureau

Executive Director

Restaurants often need a little extra love in January. That’s the case in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where a winter lull follows the busy holiday dining season. At a time when increasing sales is the top priority opens in new window for 55% of U.S. restaurant owners and operators, Oshkosh Restaurant Week provides that extra boost for the industry. Promotional incentives help spice things up for local foodies.

The annual celebration of the city’s culinary excellence is the work of Discover Oshkosh opens in new window, a nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of the community as a premier destination for corporate, sports and leisure groups, as well as individual visitors. Amy Albright, executive director, shared how promotional items help connect community members with local businesses and the tasty experiences they offer during Oshkosh Restaurant Week.

Q: How did Oshkosh Restaurant Week begin?

A: We started Restaurant Week about seven years ago. It’s not an idea unique to Oshkosh, but was something happening in other communities, and we wanted something to lift up our restaurants. We chose January because it’s a slower time and people might be watching their spending after the holidays.

Q: How does it work?

A: We call it a week, but it’s really a 10-day event. Participating restaurants offer a fixed-price menu that’s different from their everyday menu. This year there were $13 breakfast specials, $17 three-course lunches and $29 three-course dinners. People can still order off the regular menus, but the fixed-price options help people know what to expect as far as cost. It also makes it a little easier for people to get out and try something new.

Q: Are there incentives for community members to take part?

A: Yes! If somebody visits three or more restaurants, they can get an Oshkosh Restaurant Week tumbler. People love them.

We ask people to bring their receipts or fill out our digital pass and come to the Discover Oshkosh office to pick up their prizes. What we’ve found is when people come in to pick up the tumblers, they tell us about their experience—what they liked, if they’d go back and what they thought. I think it adds to their experience.

Keep things fresh with a new promo item each year

Q: Are other promotional products involved?

A: We also provide caps for each staff member taking part in Restaurant Week. They provide a way to celebrate the back-of-house workers—who are sometimes overlooked—and spotlight their culinary excellence.

Many employees wear them year-round. It’s so great. I think the hats become a point of pride. If you go into one of those businesses right now, the odds are high that you’d see somebody in the staff wearing a Restaurant Week hat. So that’s super fun.

Q: How has the community responded?

A: It’s been great for Oshkosh. This past year we had over 30 restaurants participating. The people in the community get really excited about it. It also tends to get a lot of media attention, probably because there’s typically not a tremendous amount going on that time of year. The restaurants also love it because it’s great marketing for them and hopefully helps kick off their year.

Q: What do branded incentives add to the experience?

A: They just get people more excited and engaged in visiting more restaurants. We want people to try more than one place, and the tumblers give people encouragement to do that. It also helps break down barriers between people and restaurants they otherwise might not go to.

Note: 4imprint partnered with Discover Oshkosh and sponsored the promotional incentives and other products mentioned in this story.

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