Photo by Nerfee Mirandilla on Unsplash
JERSEY CITY, NJ – Mayor Steven Fulop, city officials, and the Jersey City Restaurant Association members launched on Monday, March 6, the return of the Restaurant Week, which will run through March 20.
Carmen Mendiola, the Jersey City Restaurant Association founder with Rachel Sieg, director of the Historic District Special Improvement District (HDSID), conceived of the event last year to drive business and new visitors and residents to Jersey City during the pandemic.
“It’s encouraging to see so many of our great restaurants from all corners of the City participating in this year’s Restaurant Week as there has never been a more critical time to support our small businesses,” said Mayor Fulop. “Before and during this pandemic, we have continuously worked closely with our restaurant owners to provide the necessary resources to help them survive and thrive. I’m grateful for the Jersey City Restaurant Association’s efforts to provide our restaurants with this platform to not only support our small businesses, but also to help facilitate our community’s safe return to normalcy, whether that includes dining out or picking up takeout on the way home from work.”
The JerseyParklet photo, the City’s parklet program, which it launched before the pandemic, had been a great success in expanding businesses’ capacity and creating sought-after outdoor dining, providing additional support to local eateries. According to the city administration, their goal is to encourage more parklets to open further the door of possibilities for using space in the public right of way to benefit the community.
“The restaurant industry was hit hard during the pandemic with many businesses forced to close or operate at significantly reduced capacities. In Jersey City, we continued to support our restaurants with the help of the City of Jersey City, Mayor Fulop, JCEDC, Special Improvements Districts, particularly Rachel Sieg, and now with the help of the MiT Communications we are bouncing back. We have some of the best restaurants in Jersey City, and we welcome all to join us on March 7-20 for Jersey City Restaurant Week,” said Carmen Mendiola, President of the Jersey City Restaurant Association.
In addition to expanding capacity, the City also provided financial support to small businesses most in need in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2020, the City extended upwards of $20,000 each to 600 small business and restaurant owners throughout Jersey City.
Additional grant opportunities followed in November 2021, when the Fulop Administration allocated $1.5 million in COVID-19 Small Business Microenterprise Grants focusing on brick and mortar and mobile businesses with five employees or less.
From Grove Street to Greenville, the 2022 event has grown from its inaugural year to feature offers from nearly 70 restaurants throughout Jersey City. With more restaurants participating this year and more options to choose from, the Restaurant Association has established a new interactive website to list all participants, special promotions, and protocols: jcrestaurantweek.com.
This year, diners can discover the expansive array of cuisine available in the nation’s most diverse City, with online search options by neighborhood, cuisine style, etc. QR codes will also be available to connect customers to offers and opportunities to dine locally.
“Jersey City restaurant week is a great way to try new food and to support local restaurants. Please come out and support the local restaurants especially the restaurants in the HDSID,” Rachel Sieg, Executive Director of the Historic District Special Improvement District (HDSID).
— With Jay Domingo/PDM
