The tastes and flavors of Cherry Hill’s restaurants will be on full display in August thanks to a new township event.
Cherry Hill Township has announced it will host its first-ever Restaurant Week from Aug. 10 through 16.
Township director of communications Bridget Palmer said 22 restaurants have signed up to take part so far, with the possibility of a few more coming on board.
“It’s a pretty traditional concept,” Palmer said. “It’s a nice opportunity to showcase the diversity in our restaurant community.”
Participating restaurants will be offering a special menu during Restaurant Week. Patrons will be able to eat a three-course dinner for $25 or $35, depending on the restaurant.
“We wanted to make it a simple concept so the residents know what they’re getting,” Palmer said.
In addition, some restaurants have pitched the idea to have a $15 to $20 lunch.
“Because of the business community and the number of employees we have, the lunch is a nice option, too,” Palmer said.
Cherry Hill hopes to cater to residents and visitors. Restaurant Week will take place the same week as the JCC Maccabi Games. With many out of town visitors embarking on Cherry Hill, the township is hoping to leave everyone with a good impression of its various flavors.
While the Cherry Hill Mall has hosted its own restaurant week in previous years, this is the first time the township is putting on its own event. The concept of a Restaurant Week stems from the Mayor’s Wellness Campaign. The township was looking at a way it could expand the campaign and the idea was discussed among officials.
“In the area, it’s a huge concept right now,” Palmer said. “The mall does a restaurant week and Philly does a couple of them. So it’s a unique way to open it up to everybody.”
“Everybody has been very enthusiastic,” Palmer said. “When we knew we wanted to move forward, we reached out to a number of restaurants. We wanted to see what kind of format would work well and what time of year would work best. We modeled it based on their recommendations.”
In addition to offering three-course meals, the township is working with local supermarkets to add cooking and nutrition classes.
Involving the local businesses has gone beyond the restaurant industry. The township is gathering sponsors to help promote the event. A Facebook page, www.facebook.com/CherryHillRestaurantWeek and Twitter handle @CHRestaurantWk have also been created.
Palmer said a Restaurant Week page will be launched on the township website next week. The page will include the menus for each participating eatery, as well as other information about the event. The township is also hosting a kick-off for promotion of the event on Monday, June 23 at 5:30 p.m. on the front lawn of Town Hall.
Township officials are hoping the positive response from local businesses will make Restaurant Week popular with residents.
“We’d like to see it become a regular event for the town,” Palmer said.
