“”It’s a fantastic value:” Maryland Restaurant Week kicks off, push to keep dollar local

MARYLAND – “If we can show someone a really great value for a fantastic dinner, we have no problem doing that at all. In fact, it’s something we want to do and want to be known for,” Daly said.

Mogan’s Oyster House in Salisbury is just one the participating restaurants in the fourth annual Maryland Restaurant Week. “Some of the management and I come from markets where restaurant week is a really big thing, so it’s nice to see Salisbury jumping on this train,” Mogan’s General Manager Mike Daly said.

The event is spearheaded by the Restaurant Association of Maryland. Mogan’s Oyster House is the only restaurant participating in Wicomico County this year.

Daly told 47ABC the week allows them the chance to get new customers in the door and make them regulars. He hopes their three-course meal special for just $25 will hook them in. “It’s a fantastic value and it gives you the chance sample all the way through our menu,” Daly said.

Bill Christopher with the Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce says initiatives like this are crucial as many eateries are still trying to bounce back from the pandemic sting. “They’re trying to maintain their prices so they can keep customers coming in and minimum wage requirements are going up which drives their labor costs up. Everything’s costing them significantly more to operate,” Christopher said.

Christopher added that it’s also an incentive for customers to keep their dollar local. “Buying local and spending local actually helps significantly in terms of how money is returned and circulates within the economy,” he said.

Daly is expecting a pretty strong turnout as the week will also falls into the start of the Maryland Folk Festival. He said it gives customers more reasons to get downtown. “The idea is to bring in as many people as possible. Hopefully, we’ll get a few new and return customers and just give everybody a chance to see really experience what Mogan’s is all about,” Daly said.

The Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce told us they’re focusing on strengthening workforce development to help tackle the lingering labor shortage the industry is still facing.

Maryland Restaurant Week will run through Sunday, September 24th.

To find restaurants participating near you, click here