Berlin kicks off first ever restaurant week

The sweet sizzle of some fresh Belgium waffles filled the air of the Berlin Coffee House on Monday.

Jason Hagy, the owner of the shop says, “We’re trying to keep the ball rolling to get us through January, February, and March.”

Right now is what local business owners call the winter slump. The holidays are over and tourists, which a small town like Berlin depends on, are nowhere to be found on cold winter streets.    

Cam Bunting, the owner of Bunting Realty says, “So I thought, we haven’t done a restaurant week. My children all live in different parts of the state, so I did some research.”  

Bunting got it started with the help of Ivy Wells, the town’s director of economic community and development.

Wells continues, “Most of the time in the summer it’s crowded down here with lots of tourists. This gives locals a chance to say ‘hey lets go down to Berlin we can actually get a table tonight.'” 

The goal is to convert Berlin into a dining destination. More than ten eateries out of the fourteen establishments in downtown will be participating. Each of them will be serving their own specials.

The Berlin Coffee House, who also says they’re the only shop who roast their own beans in the area, will be making their classic waffles. Those waffles are usually only available on Sunday.  

Hagy says, “Oh I’ve been eating them my whole life.”

The waffles will be partnered with sausages, coffee or tea, and a dash of blueberries. There’s a special ingredient in that waffle, but we couldn’t squeeze it out of the chef.

Hagy continues, “Honestly she doesn’t reveal her secrets to me either. I can tell you they’re good old home made waffles that mom makes.”

Bunting says if everything is successful this week, the town of Berlin plans to host another restaurant week at the end of the spring.

Click here to see what other restaurants are featured in Berlin’s restaurant week.