The second annual Capital Cuisine Restaurant Week and Concert Series was successful at bringing in big tourism dollars, Leon County officials say. The event is part of a greater strategy to paint Tallahassee as a culinary destination.
Lee Daniel directs the Leon County Tourism Development Department. He said, people will travel long distances for good dining experiences. And the 38 restaurants that participated in May’s Capital Cuisine event showed that.
"The economic impact of Restaurant Week was the equivalent of another home football game--a non-glamorous opponent, granted--but still, a significant economic impact with direct expenditures of over a million dollars,” he said.
Daniel said, the event grew significantly from last year, when only 22 restaurants participated. This year's included public concerts to go along with the fixed-price menus the restaurants offered.
And he said, overall, the county’s tourism industry is on track for significant growth over last year.