The snow and frigid temperatures impacted what is normally one of the busiest weeks of the month for some local restaurants.
Nashville Originals Restaurant Week started Monday. Throughout the week, around 40 participating restaurants in Davidson and Williamson counties feature special menus and pricing to attract customers. However, the cold created some challenges for restaurant managers, and kept some customers at home.
“We have had some staffing issues,” said Doug Stevenson, General Manager at Midtown Café in Nashville. “There are a couple of people who haven’t come in. The kitchen is down one person tonight, the front of house is down two people tonight.”
Stevenson said restaurants rely on Restaurant Week customers to bring a boost in business during a normally slow time of year.
“It really gets people thinking I need to support local businesses who have been here a long time,” said Stevenson.
Staff at Flyte at Nashville have also made adjustments, but have kept their doors open. Managers are hopeful the special menus and deals will still entice customers.
“Restaurant Week really allows chefs to be a little creative after a season of doing very traditional style dishes,” said Mark Bowman, Manager and Sommelier at Flyte. “It’s definitely a time when foodies come out to play. We get great customers.”
Some of the participating restaurants opted to close Monday due to the weather.
Still, managers are hopeful business will pick up as the week goes on.
“People will be stir crazy by Thursday and Friday,” said Stevenson. “Hopefully, it will be really crazy, like it always is.”
For more information on participating restaurants and Restaurant Week menus visit: http://nashvilleoriginals.com/nashville-restaurant-week/ Restaurant Week runs from January 15 to 21.
