New Lenox restaurants see big uptick in business with Restaurant Week

Restaurant Week in New Lenox is always highly anticipated as residents can eat at their favorite restaurants on a discount and those restaurants see an uptick in their business.

This year’s Restaurant Week was pushed back to October because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and even though businesses were struggling, Economic Development Coordinator Nancy Dye said at the time, she had no problem getting businesses to participate.

Each year, the restaurants track their business to see what additional customers came in. Of the 22 businesses that participated this year, 20 responded to the survey and 17 of those saw an increase in business.

“This is the highest return of additional customers that we have received on any previous village and New Lenox Chamber of Commerce co-hosted marketing promotions,” Dye said.

Dye said that Gatto’s Restaurant and Bar had a 10% increase from last year’s Restaurant Week, 3 Corners Grill & Tap had 33 extra customers dine in, Nancy’s Pizza had 25 extra customers and Raffy’s Candy Store had 102 extra customers. Other businesses posted 10% and 20% increases in business compared to last year.

Frank Gatto had said that Restaurant Week came at a perfect time this year as the restaurants were just able to reopen their doors following an indoor dining restriction. And not knowing at the time that just a few days after Restaurant Week concluded on Oct. 14, that Will County would see another mandated lockdown.