Thank you for taking part in the 11th annual Vermont Restaurant Week, April 24 through May 3. Here’s some important information to help you make the most of this 10-day event. Please read the below information carefully.

How to Build Your Restaurant Week Menu

When is the menu deadline?

• Your menu is due on Wednesday, March 18. Please send it directly to Katie at khodges@sevendaysvt.com.
  • Menus will be posted to the Restaurant Week website on a first come, first served basis and may take up to a week to be published. 

Choose a price point for your prix fixe menu.

• The options are $20, $30 or $40 per person.
• If you serve breakfast or lunch, you might also offer a $15 (or less) breakfast or lunch special.

What dishes will you offer?

• Please include at least three courses. We suggest at least three choices per course.
• We strongly suggest offering vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options.
• Adding an optional pairing as an upsell is a great way to make your menu stand out and enhance value for you. Please approach our food and beverage sponsors (below) about offering their beer, cider, spirits and cheese in your pairings.

Make it special!

Diners are looking for a fresh, inventive dining experience. Past restaurants have offered all-maple menus, all-chocolate menus and even a Dr. Seuss menu. You can also include anything off of your regular menu. We’ve heard from past participants that a creative menu helps get more people in the door. But don’t take our word for it. Read these Restaurant Week testimonials from 3 Squares Café, Michael’s on the Hill and Tres Amigos.

We’re Having a Contest!

This year we’re asking diners to vote on their favorite menus throughout the week. Restaurants with the most votes will win a section sponsorship on the Seven Days homepage valued at $1,500. Keep the following categories in mind when creating your menu.

The categories are:

• Most creative theme
• Most likely to make your [vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, etc…] friend happy
• Most motivating offer

How long should the dish descriptions be?

• Every restaurant’s menu must fit into a ¼ page space (4.75×5.56) in the menu guide that’s inserted into Seven Days on April 15. Click here to view last year’s.
• Menus will be edited for spelling, grammar and clarity before they’re posted online.
• If a dish is self-explanatory, like crème brûlée, a description isn’t needed.
• Disclaimer: If your menu is too long, our food writers may have to edit it down for print. If any drastic changes are made, you will be notified. Longer descriptions will be published online as soon as we’re able to edit them.

***Please Note: You will NOT receive a proof of your menu before it runs in print.***

Help Us Fundraise for the Vermont Foodbank

Last year we raised $25,344.03 for the Vermont Foodbank. Will you help us beat that number?

Here’s how you can help. Please add $1 to your Restaurant Week menu — changing the price point to $21, $31 or $41 — and donate that extra dollar from every meal sold back to the Vermont Foodbank.

When you submit your menu to us on March 18, just let us know if you’ll be participating, and we’ll add a special icon to your menu in print and online to promote the fact that you’re donating. At the end of the week, please send your tax-deductible donation directly to the Vermont Foodbank and note that it’s from Vermont Restaurant Week.

Connect With Our Restaurant Week Sponsors

We encourage you to support our food and beverage sponsors by offering their beer, cider, spirits and cheese on your menus. We also suggest that you reach out to Vermont Federal Credit Union for all of your financial needs. And when you’re in Burlington or Essex, be sure to stop by City Market, Onion River Co-op and the Essex Culinary Resort and Spa. 

Erin Gamache
Vermont Federal Credit Union
802-923-1205
egamache@vermontfederal.org

Mark Kanya
WhistlePig Rye Whiskey
(c) 802-999-1050, (o) 802-989-9752
mkanya@whistlepigrye.com

Joe Lemnah
Burlington Beer Company
802-863-BEER
joe@burlingtonbeercompany.com

David Dolginow
Shacksbury Cider
802-458-0530
david@shacksbury.com

Mae Quilty
City Market, Onion River Co-op
802-861-9753 (direct)
mquilty@citymarket.coop 

Keith McManis
Essex Culinary Resort & Spa
802-764-1474
kmcmanis@essexresort.com 

Sal Perrone
Vermont Creamery
sperrone@landolakes.com