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EDC praises Restaurant Week turnout; plans five‑year strategy and farm outreach
Summary
The Economic Development Commission said Restaurant Week drew strong local interest, citing a Litchfield Ledger dinner and a 40% post‑event survey response; commissioners proposed a five‑year plan and farmer outreach to expand local partnerships.
The Economic Development Commission on May 20 reviewed results from the town’s 2026 Restaurant Week, calling the event a success and agreeing to plan for a multi‑year strategy.
Commissioners noted the Litchfield Ledger dinner was “very successful,” and that Litchfield Ledger representative Patrick Allers attended; the Ledger has about 3,300 local subscribers. The commission reported an estimated increase in business for participating restaurants, mostly five‑star reviews, and a 40% response rate to the post‑mortem survey. Members said diners sometimes made a full day of visits that generated spillover receipts at other local businesses.
Tara‑Marie Lynch Bares proposed developing a five‑year Restaurant Week plan to scale the event and build consistency for businesses. Victoria Butkus recommended outreach to farms and exploring CSA discount partnerships to strengthen local‑food connections. The commission agreed to discuss these proposals in August and to pursue a marketing collaboration with the Litchfield Ledger — including the possibility of an ad in the Ledger’s newsletter during the first week of March — to promote future Restaurant Weeks.
Next steps: commissioners will place the five‑year plan and farm/CSA outreach on the August agenda and coordinate with the Litchfield Ledger on marketing timing.
