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For Immediate
Release
Preparations for Ninth Annual EatLafayette™ by
Lafayette.travel Campaign Underway
(Lafayette, La.) –
Preparations for the ninth annual EatLafayette™ by Lafayette.travel campaign
are now underway.
EatLafayette is an
annual campaign that celebrates Lafayette’s locally-owned restaurants. This
year’s official campaign will run June 17 – Sept. 2.
EatLafayette was created in 2005 to give locally-owned restaurants a collective
advertising and marketing boost to help compete with the growing number of
chain restaurants in the Acadiana area. The goal of the campaign is to raise
awareness with local diners and visitors alike of all the locally-owned and
operated restaurants that offer a cornucopia of cuisines.
EatLafayette by Lafayette.travel is glad to announce that The Fly Lafayette
Club has once again signed on as a title sponsor.
“The relationship between the two campaigns is a natural one,” says Ben
Berthelot, executive director of the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission
(LCVC, Lafayette.travel).
“In our partnership with the Fly Lafayette Club, we encourage people to choose
local providers whenever they can. It not only supports our local economy, but
also fosters our sense of community, which is already so strong and so unique
here,” added Berthelot.
EatLafayette is currently accepting registrations from locally-owned
restaurants within Lafayette Parish. Restaurants in Acadiana but outside of
Lafayette Parish must be a member of the LCVC to participate.
For a one-time fee, participating restaurants receive the following:
- Inclusion in the extensive print, radio and television
advertising campaign.
- Year-round inclusion on EatLafayette.com.
- E-Newsletter marketing opportunities with the campaign’s
extensive database.
- Year-round promotion on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare,
Urbanspoon, Blogger, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube.
- Inclusion in the EatLafayette Brochure.
- The opportunity to participate in many sponsored promotions.
- The opportunity to participate in the Kick-Off Event, A Taste of
Lafayette (last year’s event hosted over 800 guests).
Early Registration
deadline is March 15 for $250. Regular and final registration deadline is April
26 for $300. Locally-owned restaurants looking to participate in EatLafayette by
Lafayette.travel should email help@eatlafayette.com for a registration form.
The 62 EatLafayette restaurants that participated in 2012 planned for the
campaign and promotions as part of their yearly advertising and marketing
strategy.
“With rising costs and shrinking margins, it becomes a challenge to bring
customers in without deep discounts,” says Tim Metcalf, President at Dean-O’s
Pizza.
Metcalf added,
“EatLafayette is the perfect opportunity to bring in new faces without huge
costs. By encouraging locals to keep their hard earned dollars local and visit
Lafayette’s best restaurants, [EatLafayette is] a cost effective marketing
plan. Dean-O’s uses EatLafayette as the centerpiece of their summer ad
campaign. In simple terms, ‘It works.’”
Richard and Lori Hurst, owners of Poor Boy’s Riverside Inn and Little River Inn
are also active participants in EatLafayette, claiming, “EatLafayette is what
keeps our Cajun culture alive!”
Their 80-year restaurant concept has stood the test of time and still sees
EatLafayette as key to their marketing strategy. “What a wonderful program to
educate our locals about the importance of the local mom and pops in business –
we are both innovators and the keepers of the traditional Cajun cuisine we all
enjoy and love. EatLafayette reminds people about [our] wonderful culinary
heritage. Love the program!”
New eateries are praising EatLafayette’s efforts, as well. Pam and Thomas
Peters from The Lab Handcrafted Coffee and Comforts say, “The Taste of
Lafayette Kick-Off event alone was worth the cost for us – especially since it
took place just a few weeks before we opened our doors for business! It was a
great way to get in front of people who really appreciate local, quality
restaurants without any risk to them.”
For more information, contact LCVC at 337-232-3737 or visit the EatLafayette
website at eatlafayette.com.
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About EatLafayette by Lafayette.travel
What started as a conversation between two local businessmen in
Lafayette, Louisiana has evolved into a successful promotions campaign that
provides a unique opportunity for people to experience local cuisine in
Lafayette. Charlie Goodson, owned of Charley G’s Seafood Grill, and Gerald
Breaux, former executive director of the Lafayette Convention and Visitors
Commission got together in early 2005 to discuss how locally-owned restaurants
could gain visibility in a market flooded with big-dollar franchise restaurant
advertising.
The result of those conversations was a summer EatLafayette campaign that is
now in its ninth year. EatLafayette is a two-and-a-half-month celebration
showcasing the restaurants that make Acadiana culture so appetizing. The 2012
campaign was a true success with 62 restaurants signed up to participate. 2013
registrations are expected to increase.
