Restaurant Week has become a beloved tradition in cities across the United States, offering food lovers a chance to explore top restaurants at unbeatable prices. But behind the special menus and packed dining rooms lies a fascinating story of how this nationwide celebration of food first began. From its unexpected origins in 1990s New York to its spread across major cities like Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles, Restaurant Week has transformed how Americans dine out. This guide dives into the history, the people who started it all, and where you can find the best deals in 2025.
Restaurant Week is a promotional event where restaurants join together to offer special fixed-price menus for a limited time. Participating eateries create prix-fixe multi-course lunches or dinners at set prices that are often a fraction of their usual cost. Diners get to sample a city’s culinary scene at an affordable rate, while restaurants benefit from a boost in business during what might otherwise be a slow period. Typically, a restaurant week runs for several days to a couple of weeks, during which customers can enjoy a three-course meal (e.g., appetizer, entrée, dessert) for a fixed price. At upscale restaurants, this price point is much lower than normal, making fine dining more accessible.
Restaurant Week programs often occur biannually – for example, an early-in-the-year winter edition and a summer edition – timed to drum up traffic in slow seasons like mid-winter or late summer. The fixed pricing and limited-time nature encourage diners to try new places. Reservations during restaurant week are recommended as popular spots fill up quickly. In many cities, Restaurant Week menus are offered on weekdays, with some restaurants excluding weekends due to high regular demand. Overall, a restaurant week functions as a win-win: guests enjoy a bargain culinary experience, and restaurants gain new customers and an infusion of business.
The Restaurant Week concept was born in New York City in 1992. That summer, NYC was hosting the Democratic National Convention, and tens of thousands of delegates and 15,000 reporters descended on the city. To capitalize on the influx of visitors and showcase the city’s dining, a special lunch-only Restaurant Week was organized. The very first NYC Restaurant Week was timed to coincide with the convention in July 1992. It featured several of the city’s top restaurants offering a three-course lunch for $19.92 – a playful nod to the year.
The fixed $19.92 menu was a hit. Convention journalists and attendees packed the participating restaurants. The week-long promotion created some buzz and got some customers in seats for the convention. It was so successful that the organizers decided to treat it as an annual event. What started happening for a week now turns into a much-anticipated summer tradition. Over time, NYC’s Restaurant Week expanded: it went from a one-week event to a biannual tradition with both winter and summer editions.
Two men are credited as the co-founders of the Restaurant Week concept: Tim Zagat and Joe Baum. Tim Zagat was best known as the co-founder and publisher of the Zagat Survey, the iconic burgundy-covered restaurant guidebooks based on diner reviews. A Yale-educated lawyer turned food lover, Zagat was serving on the restaurant industry host committee for the Democratic Convention in 1992. He brought with him a deep knowledge of the dining scene and a practical sense of what would generate buzz.
Joe Baum was a legendary New York City restaurateur. By 1992, he had already created or overseen dozens of famous restaurants over his career, including the Rainbow Room and Windows on the World. Baum was known for his creativity and showmanship. When he and Zagat were brainstorming ways to make an impression during the convention, Restaurant Week was born. The idea was simple: fine restaurants would offer $19.92 prix-fixe lunches to attract delegates and press.
Neither man could have predicted the enduring legacy of Restaurant Week. Joe Baum passed away in 1998, but Zagat continued to champion the concept as it spread across the country. Today, both are remembered for launching a dining tradition that brought together accessibility, excitement, and community spirit.
After the success in New York, the Restaurant Week concept quickly spread to other cities across the United States. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, major metropolitan areas were launching their own versions. What began as a four-day experiment in Manhattan grew into an integral part of dining culture nationwide.
Washington, D.C., launched its own Restaurant Week in 2001, in part as a way to help revitalize the dining scene after the September 11 attacks. Miami introduced its version, Miami Spice, the same year. Miami Spice now spans two full months—August and September—and includes over 230 participating restaurants. Boston created Dine Out Boston, San Francisco developed both spring and fall editions, and Chicago joined in 2008 with its own now-massive event.
Some cities put their own branding twist on the concept, but the structure remains similar: prix-fixe menus at a set price for a limited time. Events expanded from one week to multiple weeks to accommodate demand. Today, Restaurant Week exists in over 70 U.S. cities, each with its own variation.
The primary goal of Restaurant Week is to support local restaurants during slow seasons. By offering special deals, restaurants can draw crowds at times when traffic might otherwise be low. For example, many winter Restaurant Weeks occur in January or February, while summer editions land in late August.
Another key purpose is to make dining more accessible. Restaurant Week gives everyday diners the opportunity to experience top-tier restaurants at more affordable prices. A dinner that might normally cost $100 per person can be enjoyed for $45 to $60 during these promotions. This democratizes fine dining and encourages new culinary exploration.
Restaurant Week also benefits the community by generating excitement around the local food scene. Restaurants see increased foot traffic, build brand awareness, and often gain repeat customers. For diners, it’s a fun excuse to try new places and revisit old favorites. And for cities, it's a marketing tool that highlights their food culture and supports small businesses.
Chicago is a standout example of how a city can elevate Restaurant Week into a signature culinary event. Launched in 2008, Chicago Restaurant Week has grown into one of the largest of its kind. Organized by Choose Chicago, the city’s official tourism bureau, the event now includes over 500 restaurants from across the city and surrounding suburbs.
Chicago Restaurant Week typically runs for 17 days in late January through early February. Participating restaurants offer brunch, lunch, and dinner menus at fixed prices—around $30 for lunch and $45 to $60 for dinner. Menus are available from Michelin-starred destinations to neighborhood cafes.
The city kicks off the celebration with First Bites Bash, a one-night tasting event featuring dozens of restaurants. It serves as both a preview and a celebration of the city's dining culture. Over the years, the event has also emphasized diversity, with a growing number of women- and minority-owned restaurants participating.
Choose Chicago promotes the event through advertising, social media, and partnerships with local media. Its efforts have helped position Chicago Restaurant Week as a major winter attraction for residents and tourists alike.
While each city sets its own schedule, here are some confirmed Restaurant Week dates for 2025:
Many other states and regions host their own restaurant weeks at different times of the year. Some include charity components, while others use them to showcase regional food festivals.
Now more than 30 years since its debut, Restaurant Week remains one of the most anticipated food events in cities across the U.S. It's a dependable fixture on the culinary calendar, inviting loyal locals and curious newcomers alike to discover restaurants they may have never tried. Though the formats and pricing structures can vary from place to place, the purpose hasn’t changed—to make exceptional dining more accessible while spotlighting the region’s food scene.
From New York to Chicago, Los Angeles to smaller towns, there's likely a restaurant week near you offering unbeatable deals and a reason to explore. From its genesis as a small promo in conjunction with a political convention, the Tasting has grown into a veritable national institution, and for that, all gratitude goes to Tim Zagat and Joe Baum and their initial spark. Their spirit lives on in inspiring diners to go out and try something new, support local restaurants, and celebrate life through food.
For more information on Restaurant Week in Chicago, including dates, participating restaurants, and how to book a table, visit our complete guide.
