Diners finding bargains at local restaurants

Almost daily, between the mail and the newspaper, I receive an offer from a restaurant that wants to save me money. National chains such as Ruby Tuesday and Applebee’s are offering bargains galore to attempt to fill empty tables. Some fine-dining establishments have followed suit.
Discounting in the restaurant business certainly is nothing new. The “early-bird special” has been around so long that the term is now something of a joke, conjuring up images of senior citizens flocking to their Florida neighborhood eatery at 3:30 in the afternoon for dinner.
Nevertheless, with dire economic news everywhere, more restaurants seem to be giving away the store to get us in the door. Today’s discount programs are focused on demographics. Direct mail is targeted at households where both parents work. An offer is made for two or more meals at dinnertime for a discount price or a free side dish with a purchase.
Is all this bargain-basement dining actually bringing more people in the door? I spoke to some independent restaurateurs around the state to see if bargain fever has broken out in Rhode Island.
One of the longest-running traditional value offers is at Sardella’s Italian Restaurant in Newport, which has been offering dinner for two with a bottle of wine at a discount price Monday through Wednesday nights for the past 15 years. Manager Patrick Fitzgerald says the price has increased over the years but the philosophy is the same. “We have always priced the special to be less than two tickets to the movies,” he said. (By the way, 15 years ago, that was $12.99. Today, it’s $21.99.)
The special, featuring a menu of Italian favorites, has become a year-round Newport tradition and attracts a loyal clientele who return to Sardella’s on weekend nights for the regular fare of Italian specialties plus New York sirloin and fresh seafood.
On the list of Rhode Island restaurants at Restaurant.com is Reali’s Fine Italian Cuisine in Johnston. You have to put in a little work to get your discount here. First, locate the restaurant. Then, you may be able to purchase a gift certificate to the selected restaurant for a fraction of its face value. Reali’s offers a $25 certificate for $10. However, you must spend a minimum of $35 in the restaurant to use the certificate.
Reali says the program is working. “To have a few extra people come in on a slow night is worth it,” he said.
He invites guests using the certificates to return for his dinner-for-two special Sunday through Thursday that includes a bottle of wine for $33.95.
Another approach to the online coupon program is being taken at Rue de L’Espoir, the East Side mainstay on Hope Street in Providence. Proprietor Deb Norman said, “We don’t really discount here. Customers can choose how they would like to eat and we have a menu for them,” from a “light” menu starting at $10.95, a three-course prix fixe for $24.95 to a selection of 30 entrees for up to $30.95. The Restaurant.com program at the Rue offers a $25 certificate for $10, with a minimum $50 spending level in the restaurant required to use the discount certificate. Norman calls the program a “necessary evil” in the current economy and the Providence restaurant scene which she refers to as “saturated.” She has noticed a small increase of late in the number of certificates from the Web site finding their way to her restaurant and is happy to have them.
“[The certificates] fill a seat that might not be filled otherwise. I would rather have a discounted diner than no diner at all,” Norman said.
She is pleased to be able to offer additional value without compromising the quality of her restaurant or getting what she calls a “coupon reputation.”
The goal of a discount program, as in any marketing venture, is to make it meaningful to both the customer and the business. The heavy lifting in this business is to get the customer in the door. If the dining experience motivates a return visit, the program was successful. •
Dining Out with Bruce Newbury can be heard on TalkRadio 920 WHJJ-AM Fridays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at noon. Newbury can be reached at bruce@brucenewbury.com.