RFDW Food & Drink Establishments Participation Information

Reno Food & Drink Week is a community event designed to support and celebrate local food and drink establishments.

The 5th Annual Reno Food & Drink Week is a 12 day celebration of Reno’s eclectic food and drink scene and will take place June 3-14, 2024 and will have a few surprises to celebrate our FIFTH anniversary!

Cheree Boteler is the founder & owner of the Hungry in Reno and the event organizer.

Special note: To be eligible to participate, food & drink establishments are required to offer a specialty item or fixed price menu/drink flight that will only be available during this event. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE ON THIS REQUIREMENT.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This event is NOT about discounting your offerings. It’s about FEATURING the talents of your staff by offering a dish, drink, flight, menu, etc. that is exclusive for the week and then when guests arrive, providing an excellent experience. Please remember this when choosing the item(s) you plan to offer.

General registration has closed; however, late registration ($400 per location) is available through April 30, 2024. If you are interested in registering your food & drink location(s), please click the button below. Please be sure to follow all instructions within the form.

register your establishment

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
Any establishment that offers food and/or drink items (including but not limited to restaurants, casino restaurants & bars, breweries, bars (coffee & alcohol), cocktail lounges, distilleries and food trucks) within the Reno/Sparks/Carson Valley/Tahoe area is welcome to participate.

WHAT IF I’M A BAR, BREWERY OR DISTILLERY AND DON’T OFFER FOOD BUT WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE?

If you do not serve any food items at your establishment, we would love to have you participate by offering a special fixed price flight or specialty cocktail/beverage for Food & Drink Week participants.

WHAT IF I’M FOOD TRUCK?

Either let us know your location for the week (if you already have a location planned) and offer a fixed price menu or specialty item that will either only be available the week of this event or will be launched the week of the event.

If you don’t have a location set already for the week, consider teaming up with a local drink establishment that doesn’t serve food to offer a special at their location for the week of the event.

WHAT IF I’M A CATERING COMPANY, COTTAGE BAKER OR MEAL PREP SERVICE?

Same deal really, it’ll just be delivered or takeout. Offer a fixed price menu or specialty item that either will only be available the week of this event or will be launched the week of the event. We will simply share how your items can be ordered and either picked up or delivered.

HOW DOES PARTICIPATING IN RENO FOOD & DRINK WEEK BENEFIT MY BUSINESS?
There are several ways participating in Reno Food & Drink Week will benefit your business:

It is a great way for you to draw in new customers and also keep existing customers satisfied and interested.
Receive a boost in your traffic not only during the event but also before and after the event.
Gives you a chance to impress customers with your food, drinks and service. A high-quality experience may persuade some guests to come back and become repeat customers.
Shows your commitment to our community and boost your reputation as a high-quality restaurant within the community.
Can also help improve the local economy and build the reputation of the area as a foodie destination, which can improve tourism.

WHAT IS THE COST FOR AN ESTABLISHMENT TO PARTICIPATE?
Registration fees range from $75 to $400 per location^ depending upon the date that you register.

Early bird food/drink location registration ($75 per location *BEST PRICE*) starts June 12, 2023 and closes on August 3, 2023
General registration ($250 per location) will start August 4, 2023 and closes February 29, 2024
Late registration ($400 per location) will start March 1, 2024 and closes April 30, 2024

Additionally, the establishment must be willing to provide a complimentary tasting of the item(s) they will be featuring for the event and at least one raffle item (valued at $25 or more) to be raffled off after the events.

^Should a restaurant brand wish to register more than one location, we do not offer a discount for multiple locations as each location will receive their own digital and print recognition. To be an official participant in the week, each location must be registered separately, pay the full registration fee and comply with all registration requirements and deadlines.

register your establishment

WHAT WILL MY ESTABLISHMENT RECEIVE AS A PARTICIPANT?
Each participating location will receive the following:

Digital, print and media recognition leading up to and during the week. The event, and its participants, will be heavily promoted via social media, direct mail, print, e-mail, television and digital media, community calendars and more (see 2023 media coverage)
Hungry in Reno and/or one or more of the events promotional partners will visit the establishment, taste the item(s) and photograph item(s) for use on social media posts promoting the event and the item(s) the establishment will be offering. (Tasting must occur between February 1, 2024 and May 1, 2024 to receive this benefit. The establishment will be responsible for covering all costs involved in this tasting.) SCHEDULE YOUR TASTING TIME
The establishment will be listed as a food and drink week participant for the entire year on the Reno Food & Drink Week webpages housed on Hungry in Reno’s website and then on the year’s archived webpage.
All print & digital materials required for the event. Materials are to be delivered to the establishment at least one week before the event.*
Your establishment will have access to special opportunities from the media, sponsors & partners.

WHAT ARE MY RESPONSIBILITIES AS A PARTICIPANT?
As a participant you must commit to providing the following to Hungry in Reno by April 1, 2024:

A high-resolution logo (must be vector/print ready) for your establishment.
Create a fixed price menu or specialty item(s) that will be exclusively available for purchase during the entire event. Final menu details must be provided to Hungry in Reno on or before scheduled tasting date. (If flat menus are requested, final menu details must be provided to Hungry in Reno no later than April 1, 2024.)
Schedule a mutually agreeable day/time between February 1, 2024 and May 1, 2024 for Hungry in Reno and/or one or more of the event’s promotional partners to visit your establishment, taste the item(s) and take photographs. SCHEDULE YOUR TASTING TIME
At least one gift card/certificate/item valued at $25 or more for our raffle.
Provide the BEST experience possible to all your guests during the event.

Please note that deadlines must be strickly adhered to due to printing timelines and social media schedules. If your establishment misses these deadlines (without requesting and receiving approval for an extension), you may be removed as a participant in this event.

All participation fees are non-refundable.

HOW CAN I GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS EVENT?
Once you have committed and paid to be a participant in Reno Food & Drink Week you will want to do as much as you can to make the most out of the opportunity. During the event, guests are going to have the choice to visit many different establishments so you will want to be the one that everyone remembers and comes back to after the event has ended. Here are some suggestions on how to make this happen:

IMPORTANT NOTE: This event is NOT about discounting your offerings. It’s about FEATURING the talents of your staff by offering a dish, drink, flight, menu, etc. that is exclusive for the week and then providing an excellent experience that will, hopefully, entice them to share their experience with others and come back throughout the year. Please remember this when choosing the item(s) you plan to offer.
Register for one or more of the 2024 Reno Food & Drink Week Add-On Advertising Opportunities.
Stand out from the crowd for your creativity, use these events as an occasion to serve experimental and unique dishes or to feature a new menu item that you will be offering throughout the season/year.
When planning your menu, take a look at the other establishments that are participating. If there are establishments that are similar to yours, consider what they may be serving and how can you diversify yourself from them.
Give customers more than they expect. Make sure that guests feel like VIPs the moment they enter your establishment.
Appeal to different target audiences. People of all ages, demographics and walks of life will be taking part in this restaurant week, which gives you the chance to appeal to a wide audience. When you are creating your menu, you should also be considerate of dietary restrictions and offer at least once option for vegetarians and people with food allergies.
Partner with local business. Consider teaming up with a local winery, brewery, distillery or distributor to offer a complete food and drink package. Also consider utilizing fresh local food as much as possible. This is a great way to help another business increase its branding and it will show your restaurant as a true partner in the community, which is what Reno Food & Drink Week and Sparks Food & Drink Week are all about.
SPECIAL NOTE: I receive many requests throughout the year from locals and visitors asking me where they should visit for an amazing dining experience, when I receive these requests, my first recommendation is for them to take a look at the list of participants in these events. It is a list that many locals and visitors reference throughout the year to decide on a location to visit.
REMEMBER … as a participant in these events, you also receive COMPLIMENTARY marketing throughout the ENTIRE year via the event brand(s) as well as the Hungry In Brands — TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS by submitting your specials and/or news to Cheree!

IS RENO FOOD & DRINK WEEK A CHARITY EVENT?
Reno Food & Drink Week is not a charity event. It is is a community event that has been been created to support, highlight and promote local food and drink establishments.

Participating locations have the option to donate a portion of their proceeds from the event to a local charity of their choice; however, it is not required. Any location choosing to do this will have this noted on their Food & Drink Week digital and print materials.

Additionally, people participating in the week will be encouraged to donate to their favorite local charity and will have the opportunity to receive raffle entries for these donations.

2023 Stats & Feedback Report

registration form