ROCHESTER, MN (KTTC) – Monday marked the start of the inaugural Rochester Restaurant Week, a week-long celebration showcasing Rochester’s diverse dining scene with more than 30 participating restaurants. However, the city has recently seen a number of classic restaurants close their doors.
Experience Rochester president Joe Ward said: “It’s a slow time of year, business is always low after the holidays, but also coming out of the pandemic, it’s still going to take some time to attract the crowds that more people are looking for. “We just thought it would be a great way to support it and hopefully it’s the start of many years,” he said.
Newts said that in 2020, downtown has had a hard time recovering from reduced foot traffic, which has resulted in restaurants having to close. However, another location in North Rochester has benefited greatly from Restaurant Week.
“I think it raises awareness that there are a lot of great restaurants out there, some new and some that’ve been here for a long time, so it’s really an invitation for people to go out and check out old favorites or check out new ones Something so long this week, it’s just one thing,” Ward said.
Otori Sushi owner Sami Lo, who also attended Restaurant Week, said they were sold out today and she is confident this week will help her business.
“Our business is slowly getting better every day, we do a lot of social media to promote our restaurant so people can know we’re here, we’re open, we’re doing sushi and a lot of different kinds of food, so we’re Back to normal business,” Luo said.
Luo said that because her restaurant also has a drive-through service, it has saved her business from the pandemic. Lo explained that her restaurant still has customers who don’t want to go in.
“Rochester, like many cities across the country, has had its fair share of struggles during this pandemic, but it’s an attractive neighborhood again, and we continue to encourage locals to come back downtown or work remotely, and we say hey , you know coming back downtown for dinner or lunch, really looking forward to seeing everyone and getting back on track to support everyone in the future,” Ward said.
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