Mark your calendars and grab your sweatpants – Birmingham Restaurant Week (BRW) is back for Winter! Happening Jan. 14-31, 2021, BRW – Winter Edition presented by Spire seeks to further support the restaurant and bar industries during a time when it is more crucial than ever.
“Spire is once again excited to partner with Birmingham Restaurant Week in supporting our local restaurants,” says Joe Hampton, president of Spire Alabama, Gulf Coast and Mississippi.“As we enter into the winter months, these local restaurants need our support more than ever. With plenty of curbside and delivery options available, this winter’s event will be a great example of how we can continue to move forward and get through this–together.”
According to the National Restaurant Association, one in six restaurants, representing close to 100,000 units, are closed either permanently or long-term, and one in three restaurants will close by year end. In Alabama, the leisure and hospitality industry has accounted for 49 percent of all jobs lost since March. Now, the state’s $9 billion restaurant economy is at a more severe risk as over 75 percent of Alabama’s 8,620 eating and drinking locations are in danger of closing permanently amidst the ongoing pandemic.
As restaurants enter the slower winter months and continue to struggle amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s BRW is more important than ever. With dine-in capacities still limited and the holidays rapidly approaching, restaurants, bars and food trucks will see a further decrease in food and beverage sales. Because of this, BRW 2021- Winter Edition will boast to-go and curbside pickup options as well as the traditional, but limited, dine-in option, as health precautions are still being mandated.
With aims to keep guests warm, fed and safe and to allow for al fresco dining no matter the weather, many restaurants are making special accommodations to safely serve diners during the winter by offering outdoor high-powered heaters, cabana tents and “igloos” to expand upon outdoor and patio seating.
Until BRW 2021 – Winter Edition starts, the Birmingham community should use their voice on behalf of local restaurateurs to support the Restaurants Act that if passed will generate $1.8 billion economic benefit for Alabama. The food and beverage industry is struggling, and it is crucial to support our local eateries to protect from closures and loss of jobs.
BRW exists to help stimulate the local economy by spreading awareness for participating restaurants through social media promotion, media opportunities and more. It is our hope that through our promotions, patrons will fall in love with new restaurants, food trucks and bars and continue to support them long after BRW’s end.
To learn more about Birmingham Restaurant Week, click here or visit @BhamRestWeek on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!