BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) -- Local Restaurant Week ended Sunday and organizers are calling it a success. They say most participating restaurants saw increases in business of 25% to 30% over September, when the event was last held.
The WNY Chapter of the NYS Restaurant Association came up with the idea to help locally owned, independent restaurants boost business, by offering full course meals for $20.10 for a whole week. They say the restaurant business is generally slow at this time of year. Organizers say they accomplished their mission by putting local restaurants back on radar screen and they are looking forward to the next local restaurant week in September.
A national gourmet sandwich chain is looking to move into WNY. A report in this week's Business First says Jimmy John Gourmet Sandwiches is one of the fastest growing fast food chains in the country.
The chain is based in Illinois. It features upscale sandwiches and subs. Officials are working with a local businessman to open as many as eight locations in WNY. They want to have the first one open by mid-summer. Franchises recently opened in Syracuse and Ithaca.
