One of Southwest Washington’s most celebrated food events is in full swing. ‘Dine the Couve’ offers incredible dinner specials and the opportunity to try some of the area’s most delicious restaurants. Guests can enjoy 3 for $25 and 3 for $35 menu deals – each restaurant creating their own special menu for the month. Menu options vary from restaurant to restaurant – some offering a mix of appetizers, entrées, craft cocktails, or desserts. And while these deals are surely making people’s taste buds sing, it’s also been a great way for restaurants to grow their reach and expand their presence.
Erica Lindemann, Director of Marketing for Visit Vancouver said, “This is the only event that we run that is truly community focused, so success for this program looks different than other marketing and advertising campaigns that we do throughout the year. While it may seem that success looks like getting the most restaurants signed up as possible, we really want it to be a good fit for the establishments signing up – with the end goal of bringing in new and returning customers through their doors so that the benefits go beyond the month of October.”
When the event first began in 2016, there were 13 downtown restaurants that participated. The following year, more restaurants outside of the downtown core signed up. There was a slight dip in the participation rate during the pandemic due to COVID restrictions, food supply, and worker shortages, but today Dine the Couve is back and better than ever, celebrating the participation of 38 restaurants.
“We continue to make the program zero-cost for restaurants to participate, we pay for all the print materials and promotion of the program and try to adapt the program in different ways that attract a variety of diners – like introducing the mobile pass, having two price points, etc.,” Lindemann explained. “In the end, I think chefs get to showcase what they do best, bringing the Vancouver area forward as a competitive dining destination.”
Diners can visit multiple restaurants during the month by downloading the convenient mobile-friendly app that gives them a ‘pass’. The pass includes all participating restaurants, information on the special Dine the Couve menus, and the ability to participate in this year’s check-in challenge to win a prize. By checking in at five participating locations and ordering the Dine the Couve menu throughout the month of October, guests are entered to win a $100 gift card to the participating restaurant of their choice. Lindemann shares that to date, there have been 3,084 pass downloads and 418 check-ins.
With Vancouver continuing to grow, people are looking to experience the one-of-a-kind flavors of the Northwest. This gives restaurant owners the opportunity to think outside the box in their marketing efforts while welcoming new patrons into their establishments.
Rattana Zoller, Manager for Ginger Pop shared, “Dine the Couve has given our family Thai restaurant, Ginger Pop, the opportunity to meet new customers and invite them to experience our cuisine at a discount. It’s truly a win-win opportunity.”
