Video: BTA Wraps Up 2015 Restaurant Weeks
In the wrap-up session of the Bermuda Tourism Authority’s 2015 Restaurant Weeks at the Bermuda Gas Showroom, Pat Phillip-Fairn, Chief Product and Experiences Development Officer, called the event “the best Restaurant Weeks in its four-year history.”
The wrap-up session also saw Bermuda Gas Chef Prizes awarded, with first place going to Chef Enworth Davis/Muse, second place going to Chef Chad Mitchell/Red, and third place awarded to Chef Angelo D’Amato/La Trattoria.
Ms. Phillip-Fairn said, “Today we’re here to celebrate what is, by most accounts, the best Restaurant Weeks in its four-year history. It was the largest yet: 44 participating restaurants. It was decidedly more authentic: 31 restaurants offered Bermuda-inspired dishes.
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“It was very tech friendly: table.bm says its free online reservation service saw three times its normal traffic. It was also customer focused: we asked diners to vote for their favorite Bermuda-inspired dishes.
“The top three vote-getters in each of the three price categories are here to be recognized: La Trattoria [$29 category]; Muse [$39 category] and Red [$49 category].
“Visitors tell us they want Bermuda-inspired dishes when they travel and through Restaurant Weeks we motivated local chefs to give the people what they want. Culinary tourism is an untapped opportunity for Bermuda and our local food culture is a rich story waiting to be shared
“Customers responded extremely well – one restaurateur tells us sales were up 97% for this year’s restaurant weeks versus last year’s. Although that performance is likely at the extreme high end, every restaurateur we’ve spoken with thus far said this year was an improvement over years past.
“Some restaurants extended the promotion to take advantage of the momentum they were feeling as word spread. Very happy with the feedback heard from the public, restaurants and from visitors – many of them here during Bermuda Race Weekend.
“Tomorrow we focus on making 2016 even better still, but today we take a moment to celebrate the restaurant community which really stepped up.”
Chef Enworth Davis of Muse said, “We at Muse enjoyed the Restaurant Weeks challenge of putting a new twist on traditional Bermudian cuisine. Our customers, whom we call ‘family’, have spoken using all communicative media at their disposal – emails, texting, photos and social media.
“In their highlights, they’ve exclaimed approval and subsequently sent strangers, families, tourists and friends to sample what they have without a doubt enjoyed.”
Rick Olson of Red said, “We did not participate in 2014 and regret that now after getting a great response this year. Overall our dinner sales during that period were up 20%.”
Angelo Buglione of Angelo’s said, “I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Tourism Authority for giving fantastic exposure to all the restaurants that have taken part in Restaurant Weeks this year. I believe Restaurant Weeks was received very well by local and tourist clients and most of the clients have also suggested to have this event twice a year and I think it would be a great idea.”
Chef Jean-Claude Garzia of Beau Rivage said, “For us here at Beau Rivage, it was a pleasure to revamp the Bermudian Cuisine and create different flavors for our mainly local business. The event opened doors to people to be able to discover new restaurants.”
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It is good that sales were up during Restaurant Weeks but how many tourists did BTA bring in just for the food?????? In my opinion this event brought out more locals and visitors were not here just for the food.
I definitely see your point. They certainly didn’t boast about visitor numbers being up. But I think the theory is that you have to build an authentic food culture first, earn a stellar reputation second and then visitors will come for the food.
But in order to build the food culture, restauranteurs, who after all are business people, need proof there’s a market for Bermuda-inspired dishes. I think BTA proved Bermuda-inspired cuisine is not only cool, it’s profitable. Follow the money.
TA I see your point too but shouldn’t the hotel and restuarant management have figured that out years ago without funding from BDOT or BTA? BTA should be in the tourism marketing business not doing the work of stakeholder management.
Well you’ve got a good point there.
If they would’ve just bought $1,000,000 worth of plane tickets, there would’ve been roughly 100,000 people here to fill the hotels and also take advantage of the specials on offer at our restuarants! They could have gave tickets away to people along the east coast that had to be used during the winter months.