Sunderland Restaurant Week 'goes from strength to strength'

Sunderland Restaurant Week goes from strength to strength with a record breaking event which brought more than £500,000 into the local economy.

And that new figure has beaten the positive economic impact of the previous event, held in March which also broke all previous records. The latest Sunderland Restaurant Week ended on Sunday (24 September) with more than 18,000 people taking advantage of the special offers up for grabs at restaurants, bars and pubs around the city.

The combination of new eateries and favourites was a huge draw to diners, who ate out in style at more than 40 different venues. Newcomer, Rumour Has It, at Green Terrace, took part in the event for the first time – and had the most voucher downloads across the week.

Owner Lynsey Foster said she and the team had been “overwhelmed” by the experience. “We are delighted that we came top of the restaurant week download list,” she said. “We have only been open for six months and it has been overwhelming, but in a good way. Our business has thrived because of Sunderland BID and the support they give us and because of the fantastic team we have at Rumour Has It.

“We will certainly be taking part in the next restaurant week in March 2024 and we look forward to welcoming customers old and new.”

The record set by the first restaurant week of this year which brought in £480k to the local economy has been smashed this time round with an economic impact of £547k

Voucher downloads also increased from 16,000 to 18,000 on the previous event.

Sharon Appleby, chief executive of Sunderland BID, said Restaurant Week continues to be a hugely popular event in the city.

“We were delighted back in March with how successful Sunderland Restaurant Week was but to see that this time round we’ve once again grown the effect on the local economy is phenomenal,” she said. “It has had such an impact on the dining scene in the city and gives people the opportunity to return to a favourite restaurant or to visit somewhere new for the first time.

“It’s brilliant to hear from new places like Rumour Has It what a positive impact the event has had and that is echoed across the city, where many restaurants have been packed out across the week. We can’t wait to start working on next year’s events and getting even more places involved.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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