Estimated £400,000 boost to economy thanks to Sunderland Restaurant Week

Vito Farrigu, who owns Vito’s Osteria at Sheepfolds Stables, is among the 56 cafes, bars and restaurants which took part in this month’s Sunderland Restaurant Week, which organisers say ploughed £400,000 into the local economy.

Thousands of diners downloaded vouchers to take advantage of a range of discounts which were on offer throughout the week.

Restaurant Week – which is organised by Sunderland BIDs – also attracted a range of newcomers for the first time, including Ember, Love Lily and Rio Steakhouse, which participated in the full week this time round.

Among those who say it delivers a boost to bookings is Vito, whose restaurant is already one of the top-rated Italians in the city.

“We completely recognise the great opportunity Restaurant Week brings to the city,” he said.

“And we definitely see a massive impact on revenue during the week. We were surprised to find a lot of diners had never eaten with us before, so it also does a great job in promoting restaurants to a new audience.

“It is a fantastic week and we are already looking forward to the next one.”

It was recently announced that Vito, as well as the team at neighbouring Ember, would be launching two additional restaurants in Sunderland.

Roberta Redecke, Head of Business Services at Sunderland BIDs, said the weeks are now a firm fixture on the calendar.

“The benefits that both Restaurant Weeks bring to the city can’t be underestimated,” she said.

“Not only do they make a really meaningful impact on the local economy but they also give people the opportunity to discover new places to eat which, given Sunderland’s booming hospitality industry, is good news for everyone.

“Once again we had thousands of diners turning out to enjoy fantastic food at a great price which hopefully will also incentivise them to go back and visit again and again.”