Dine local during Restaurant Week

The event runs through June 18

By James Foster Special to The Republican

Springfield Restaurant Week is underway, with over two dozen local restaurants participating this year. Many are offering special meals and deals for the event, including a $14.50 lunch buffet at Mesa Buffet from Tuesday to Thursday before 3 p.m. and an $11 portabella melt, served with the side of the day, at Nosh Restaurant and Cafè.

A popular spot that is involved with Restaurant Week for another year is the Souper Sweet Sandwich Shop, run by owner and chef Sonya Yelder. In the past, Souper Sweet has offered various specials during Restaurant Week, including a picnic basket that successfully brought in new clientele. This year, the highlight is a choice between a soup and sandwich or soup and salad combo, in hopes that people will come in and try a variety of the food Souper Sweet has to offer. Yelder credits the local community for the times Restaurant Week was a resounding success for her shop.

“I think it’s more people in the area [that come to Springfield Restaurant Week] because out of town people wouldn’t even know about it,” Yelder said. “Everybody Googles everything now, and I think that Restaurant Week isn’t one of those things that just pops in randomly on Google when people are in town, so I think it will be more local people.”

Springfield Business Improvement District has been advertising Restaurant Week in many formats, including social media advertisements, physical ads in MassMutual Center and Springfield hotels, and connections with community influencers. Springfield BID’s Marketing & Creative Services Project Manager Samantha Savoie has been hard at work making Restaurant Week possible and played a major role in its launch party, held at Bridge22 on June 7. More than 70 attendees were treated to samplers and free drinks, along with a raffle that awarded winners gift cards to participating restaurants.

Several new restaurants have joined Springfield Restaurant Week for the first time, including All-American Bar, Grill, and Patio, Mesa Buffet, and BarKaya Sushi and Ramen, along with returning favorites, including Palate and Student Prince Cafe and The Fort.

Most venues are offering outdoor seating this year, a major change that was spurred by the pandemic. Other restaurants will be able to offer new or improved outdoor seating next year, thanks to grants – ranging from $25,000 to $250,000 – awarded by the Springfield Office of Planning and Economic Development to local restaurants for outdoor dining opportunities in March.

“Post-pandemic, we moved Restaurant Week to June – previously it had been in April,” Michelle Grout, interim executive director of Springfield BID, said. “Everybody had invested so much into outdoor dining space, we thought what a great way to showcase it and continue the practice of eating outside and enjoying the beautiful surroundings, scenery, and weather. We did move it outside to help increase patronage to the restaurants and it was a huge success.”

Springfield is turning into another prime location for entertainment and social events, with the first-ever Western Massachusetts Ironman, Amy Poehler and

Tina Fey’s Restless Leg Tour, and Bruno Mars’ concerts all happening within days of each other. The restaurant industry has flourished as well, with more restaurants and seating becoming available throughout Springfield.

“Worthington Street alone had three new restaurants come in within the last year,” Savoie said. “Then with all the events happening this year, the Jazz & Roots [Festival] in July, and then the [Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame] Enshrinement Ceremony after that, everything is happening in Springfield.”

A complete list of participating restaurants include: White Lion Brewing Company, The Souper Sweet Sandwich Shop,

Jackalope Restaurant, Theodores’ Blues, Booze & BBQ, Ciro’s, MGM TAP Sports Bar, Costa, Palate, Family Pizzeria Europa, 350 Grill, The Place 2 Be, Nadim’s Downtown Mediterranean Grill, Sol Karibe Restaurant & Bar, Bridge22 Restaurant & Bar, Student Prince Café and The Fort, AC’s Main Street Market, All American Bar, Grill and Patio, Dewey’s Jazz Lounge, Frigo’s Foods, Palazzo Café, BarKaya Sushi and Ramen, Nosh Restaurant and Café, Panjabi Tadka and Osteria.

Springfield Restaurant Week runs through June 18. For more information, visit springfielddowntown.com /events/restaurant-week2023/