Restaurant Week ($19.92…$20.12)
"Restaurant Week" got started in 1992 (although it wasn't called that back then), when restaurants began charging $19.92 for meals. Restaurant Week was less than a week when it started; today, it's several weeks.
In recent years, the amount jumped a few pennies to $20.12 to honor New York's bid for the 2012 Olympics. Early versions of "Restaurant Week" were sponsored by the National Restaurant Association in the 1930s.
5 March 1936, Washington Post, pg. 10:
Restaurant Week
Observed Here
By Restaurants
3 May 1937, Washington Post, pg. 13:
D.C. Restaurants
To Assist National
"Dining Out" Drive
National Restaurant Week begins today with 50,000 restaurateurs of the United States and Canada participating. The dramatic effort to acquaint the public better with the advantages of dining out will continue through Sunday.
Under the direction of the National Restaurant Association and with the co-operation of numerous local associations, including the Washington Restaurant Association, the restaurateurs are exerting special efforts along lines of ecorative effects in their establishments and windows. They are featuring culinary specialties and stressing styles in foods, as in everything else.
2 July 1993, New York Times, pg. A23 ad:
REMEMBER THE GREAT
$19.92 LUNCHES FROM LAST YEAR?
WELL, THE PRICE WENT UP.
(...)
Restaurant Week - Tuesday, July 6th through Sunday, July 11th.
7 June 1995, New York Times, pg. C1:
The Prix-Fixe Puzzle:
Economics of $19.95
19 June 1995, New York Times, pg. C6:
Time for a $19.96 Lunch
17 June 2005, New York Sun, "Nieperont Aims To Take Restaurant Week Beyond Manhattan" by Pranay Gupte, pg. 9:
Tracy Nieporent acknowledges that New York's Restaurant Week, over which he presides, is a misnomer.
"It's actually two weeks in June, and two weeks in January," Mr. Nieporent said. "But Restaurant Week has a ring to it, and I want to extend it as much as I can."
That extension involves not only persuading more restaurants to join Restaurant Week, offering patrons three-course lunches at $20.12, and dinners at $35. Virtually all the establishments participating in this year's event - which runs from Monday to June 24 and June 27 to July 1 - are in Manhattan, and Mr. Nieporent wants to recruit restaurants in the outer boroughs.
The five boroughs have 17,312 restaurants, according to the New York State Restaurant Association. Their annual sales are $23.3 billion. But only 201 restaurants are participating in Restaurant Week. When the event was launched in 1992 for the Democratic National Convention, 100 restaurants signed up.
Signing up requires restaurants to pay $2,500 to NYC & Company, the city's tourism promotion agency. That may be too hefty for small restaurants. It may be a bit much for the more prosperous establishments as well, some of whose proprietors grouse that although Restaurant Week fills tables, it scarcely generates profits.
(Trademark)
Word Mark NYC & COMPANY RESTAURANT WEEK
Goods and Services IC 035. US 100 101 102. G & S: Promoting business and tourism in New York City by promoting the services of applicant's restaurant business members. FIRST USE: 20020128. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20020128
Mark Drawing Code (3) DESIGN PLUS WORDS, LETTERS, AND/OR NUMBERS
Design Search Code 010501 110103 241102 270305
Serial Number 78565700
Filing Date February 11, 2005
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Owner (APPLICANT) NYC & Company NON-PROFIT CORPORATION NEW YORK 810 Seventh Avenue New York NEW YORK 10019
Attorney of Record Lora A. Moffatt, Esq.
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE
In recent years, the amount jumped a few pennies to $20.12 to honor New York's bid for the 2012 Olympics. Early versions of "Restaurant Week" were sponsored by the National Restaurant Association in the 1930s.
5 March 1936, Washington Post, pg. 10:
Restaurant Week
Observed Here
By Restaurants
3 May 1937, Washington Post, pg. 13:
D.C. Restaurants
To Assist National
"Dining Out" Drive
National Restaurant Week begins today with 50,000 restaurateurs of the United States and Canada participating. The dramatic effort to acquaint the public better with the advantages of dining out will continue through Sunday.
Under the direction of the National Restaurant Association and with the co-operation of numerous local associations, including the Washington Restaurant Association, the restaurateurs are exerting special efforts along lines of ecorative effects in their establishments and windows. They are featuring culinary specialties and stressing styles in foods, as in everything else.
2 July 1993, New York Times, pg. A23 ad:
REMEMBER THE GREAT
$19.92 LUNCHES FROM LAST YEAR?
WELL, THE PRICE WENT UP.
(...)
Restaurant Week - Tuesday, July 6th through Sunday, July 11th.
7 June 1995, New York Times, pg. C1:
The Prix-Fixe Puzzle:
Economics of $19.95
19 June 1995, New York Times, pg. C6:
Time for a $19.96 Lunch
17 June 2005, New York Sun, "Nieperont Aims To Take Restaurant Week Beyond Manhattan" by Pranay Gupte, pg. 9:
Tracy Nieporent acknowledges that New York's Restaurant Week, over which he presides, is a misnomer.
"It's actually two weeks in June, and two weeks in January," Mr. Nieporent said. "But Restaurant Week has a ring to it, and I want to extend it as much as I can."
That extension involves not only persuading more restaurants to join Restaurant Week, offering patrons three-course lunches at $20.12, and dinners at $35. Virtually all the establishments participating in this year's event - which runs from Monday to June 24 and June 27 to July 1 - are in Manhattan, and Mr. Nieporent wants to recruit restaurants in the outer boroughs.
The five boroughs have 17,312 restaurants, according to the New York State Restaurant Association. Their annual sales are $23.3 billion. But only 201 restaurants are participating in Restaurant Week. When the event was launched in 1992 for the Democratic National Convention, 100 restaurants signed up.
Signing up requires restaurants to pay $2,500 to NYC & Company, the city's tourism promotion agency. That may be too hefty for small restaurants. It may be a bit much for the more prosperous establishments as well, some of whose proprietors grouse that although Restaurant Week fills tables, it scarcely generates profits.
(Trademark)
Word Mark NYC & COMPANY RESTAURANT WEEK
Goods and Services IC 035. US 100 101 102. G & S: Promoting business and tourism in New York City by promoting the services of applicant's restaurant business members. FIRST USE: 20020128. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20020128
Mark Drawing Code (3) DESIGN PLUS WORDS, LETTERS, AND/OR NUMBERS
Design Search Code 010501 110103 241102 270305
Serial Number 78565700
Filing Date February 11, 2005
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Owner (APPLICANT) NYC & Company NON-PROFIT CORPORATION NEW YORK 810 Seventh Avenue New York NEW YORK 10019
Attorney of Record Lora A. Moffatt, Esq.
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE