Supporting Local with Ogden Restaurant Week

It’s 2020, and now more than ever, supporting local restaurants is essential to their survival. Though Ogden Restaurant Week isn’t a new program, their focus this year has changed as they are determined to help local food innovators weather the storm and survive to feed Utah another day. 

COVID-19 has had a profound effect on how restaurants function around the country and the world. By participating in Ogden Restaurant Week, you can engage in community building, all while eating great food you can’t find anywhere else. 

Since 2013, Ogden Restaurant Week has been an important part of the Ogden food scene. Put on by Visit Ogden as a way to celebrate and support local restaurants, this year Restaurant Week has been extended to last through the entire month of November—a response to the strange times we find ourselves in. This extension will help diners and employees stay safe while also accommodating the more limited seating required during the pandemic.

“Running a restaurant is challenging in the best of times, and through this initiative, Visit Ogden has sought to help local restaurants succeed.”

This yearly celebration of local food began as a way to help bring attention and patronage to Ogden restaurants. All participating restaurants are local, and through their food you see the work of local suppliers, makers, historic locations and eaters coming together to create truly unique dining experiences. Running a restaurant is challenging in the best of times, and through this initiative, Visit Ogden has sought to help local restaurants succeed. For the past several years since its inception, the success of Ogden Restaurant Week has made a significant positive impact on restaurants in the area.

Traditionally, Restaurant Week has been held in the spring, but as restaurants began seeing increased profits in spring months (a sure sign of Ogden Restaurant Week’s success), the organizers decided to move the event to the fall starting in 2020. This unrelated but fortuitous decision helped the event to avoid the confusing early months of the pandemic before clear protocols were in place for restaurants.

“The gift cards were made possible by a Shop in Utah grant that was a state response to the coronavirus as a part of the national CARES Act.”

The highlight of this year’s Restaurant Week is $20 gift cards on sale for only $10. These gift cards went up for sale in late October and quickly sold out. But even without the gift cards, now is the perfect time to support local restaurants in a way that best fits your needs. 

The gift cards were made possible by a Shop in Utah grant that was a state response to the coronavirus as a part of the national CARES Act. The goal of this grant is to help Utah businesses while also passing discounts on to Utah consumers and stimulating the local economy, working to repair some of the losses that restaurants have seen from COVID-19. Grants are offered to various businesses in Utah, prioritizing those worst hit by the pandemic.

Even without gift cards, now is a perfect time to support Ogden restaurants while spending time in historic downtown. Whether you have returned to eating in restaurants or are still sticking to take out, the variety of cuisines is sure to satisfy your palate and give you a chance to really participate in the local food scene that makes Ogden unique. From breakfast spots and coffee runs, to curry, ramen or pizza, the 21 restaurants participating in the event have you covered: Angry Goat Pub & Kitchen, Bangkok Garden, Hearth on 25th, Lucky Slice, Roosters Brewing Co, Rovali’s Ristorante Italiano, Slackwater, Sonora Grill, Thai Curry Kitchen, Tona Sushi, Union Grill, Warren’s Craft Burger, New Sun, Ogden River Brewing, Pig & a Jelly Jar, UTOG Brewing Company, Waffle Love, WB’s, Wimpy & Fritz, Yu’s Maple Garden, and Ramen Haus.

Each of the participating restaurants are Utah owned, and most of them can only be found on the streets of Ogden. By participating in Ogden Restaurant Week, you can be a part of this culinary tradition and help ensure it is here to stay.

“The variety of cuisines is sure to satisfy your palate and give you a chance to really participate in the local food scene that makes Ogden unique.”

More than anything, the people behind Ogden Restaurant Week want to support Ogden restaurants this November and all year long. It can be easy to skip local restaurants in exchange for the ease of fast food chains, but these local places have everything you need to grab a quick bite and eat something you can’t find anywhere else. 

As local restaurants across the country have closed their doors due to the strain of the pandemic, it has become increasingly important to support local gems like those found across Ogden. Grab your mask, hit the streets of Ogden’s historic downtown and take advantage of Ogden Restaurant Week this year by finding a new favorite.