As we wrap the holiday season and dig into the bitter cold winter, a culinary event is
set to heat up the west suburbs.
Bite the Burbs is coming back for its second year from Jan. 31 to Feb. 8. The event
brings together more than 70 local restaurants, offering you a chance to explore diverse
dining options with enticing deals. Organized by Visit Oak Park, Bite the Burbs aims to
energize local dining during a typically slow time of the year.
Annie Coakley, executive director of Visit Oak Park, shared the inspiration behind the
event, saying: “It’s a promotion to bring people in the area who would prefer to stay
home and order food in to get them to go out, and we’re enticing them with some kind of
a deal.”
She added: “Restaurants have a choice of the deal that they want to provide, which is
either a free appetizer with entree purchase or a free dessert with entree purchase or 15% off the check or providing a prix-fixed meal.”
While organized by Visit Oak Park, Bite the Burbs extends to include
restaurants in Berwyn, Brookfield, Elmwood Park, Forest Park, Franklin
Park, Hillside, La Grange Park, Maywood, Melrose Park, North
Riverside, Oak Park and Riverside.
Coakley emphasized the event’s regional focus, saying, “We have so many interesting
restaurants – not your cookie-cutter establishments. For example, we’ve included Cuban, Venezuelan and Mexican restaurants, along with unique takes on pizza like brick-oven styles.”
The timing of Bite the Burbs is strategic. It coincides with Bite Nite, a food-focused
fundraiser hosted by the Oak Park-River Forest Chamber on Jan. 31, creating synergy
between two celebrations of local culinary art.
“We kick off the week with their event, then we have the rest of that week to get
people out and explore restaurants they have tried and get a deal while they’re at it,”
Coakley said.
Bite the Burbs provides an important platform for locally-owned restaurants, aiming to
increase foot traffic and bolster community support.
Participating restaurants were recruited through collaborations with local chambers and village economic development departments. “We are putting this promotion together. We provided them with a link to the form, and there is no cost for the restaurants to participate,” Coakley said.
Restaurants also benefit from enhanced visibility through marketing strategies such as
table tents with QR codes, posters and a user-friendly website listing all participating
establishments and their deals.
Feedback from last year’s event has influenced this year’s approach. “Restaurants
requested more social media promotion, and we’ve increased our advertising budget,”
Coakley noted. Additionally, partnerships with organizations like Yummy Food Tours
and Takeout 25 have helped spread the word and elevate the event’s profile.
Reflecting on Bite the Burbs’ potential, Coakley shared her enthusiasm. “Seeing the
growth from 32 restaurants to over 70 in just one year shows that this benefits restaurants and that they appreciate the work we’re putting into it on their behalf,” she said.
While future plans may include extending the event’s duration or adding interactive
elements like chef demonstrations, Coakley said that feedback from participants will
shape the event’s evolution. She expressed gratitude for partnerships with organizations
like Takeout 25 that have helped amplify the event’s reach. “They helped us spread the
word to the restaurant community that this is available for them to take advantage of,”
she said.
Bite the Burbs is not just a celebration of food; it’s a testament to the creativity of
local restaurants. Whether you’re a seasoned foodie or looking for a reason to venture
out, this event promises an unforgettable culinary journey with the added value of a deal.
For more details, visit the Bite the Burbs website and check the list of participating
restaurants. https://www.visitoakpark.com/bite-the-burbs-restaurant-
week?location=All&cuisine=All&special_offer=All&s=