In honor of event’s 15th anniversary, three local charities received $5000 each, World Central Kitchen received $15,000,

Media contacts:
Michelle Gonzalez, mgonzalez@choosechicago.com
Janet Isabelli, janet@isabellipartners.com

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(CHICAGO – April 18, 2022) – On Sunday, April 10, 2022, Chicago Restaurant Week (CRW) concluded its 15th annual celebration on a high note. Over the course of 17 delicious days, 345 eateries served thousands of diners who enjoyed multi-course meals spanning every corner of Chicagoland.

The 2022 event included an array of restaurants offering specially priced, prix fixe menus for dine-in, delivery, and/or takeout. The event featured restaurants in 36 distinct Chicago neighborhoods, including 33 suburban partners. 64 participants were women, minority and/or black-owned enterprise and 72 restaurants made their CRW debut, including both recently opened and long-established, beloved locales.

In celebratory spirt, Choose Chicago this year hosted two consumer-facing events to celebrate CRW. The first, in partnership with Let’s Talk Womxn, took place Tuesday, March 8, featuring the cuisine of 25 impressive female chefs and restaurateurs. A second event was held Tuesday, March 22 in collaboration with Immersive Frida Kahlo showcasing food and drink tasting stations by local neighborhood favorites and beverage partners, alongside an exclusive viewing of the stunning new exhibit.

In keeping with its long-standing tradition of community support, Choose Chicago also donated $5000 each – totaling $15,000 to commemorate the 15th anniversary – to three deserving local organizations. They included:

  • The Abundance Setting, which supports the advancement of working mothers in the culinary industry. A check was presented to leaders of the organization at the March 8 event.
  • Food Hero, a Latino-led vocational culinary school and food incubator in the Little Village community. The non-for-profit graciously accepted the donation at the March 22 event.
  • Growing Home, a USDA-certified organic and non-profit urban farm in Englewood that serves its communities through paid holistic employment training and local, healthy, affordable food. A check was presented in partnership with Society Insurance at private, post-event celebration held for participating restaurants on Monday, April 11.

Additionally, Choose Chicago and Chicago Restaurant Week were pleased to support the Chicago Chefs Cook for Ukraine event which raised money for World Central Kitchen’s efforts supporting the devastating situation in Ukraine, with a donation of $15,000.

“We are so pleased with the outcome of Chicago Restaurant Week 2022,” said Lynn Osmond, incoming President & CEO of Choose Chicago. “With significant growth in participation, restauranteurs were incredibly enthusiastic about welcoming Chicagoans and visitors. And diners answered the call. From Hyde Park to the West Loop to Andersonville, and all the way to our suburban communities, guests turned out in droves to experience something new and support our restaurants – a signal of continued optimism and growth for our local businesses.”

Chicago Restaurant Week 2022 is sponsored by 97.1 The Drive, SHE 100.3, 101.9 The MIX, Acqua Panna®, CTA, The Glenrothes, the James Beard Foundation, Metra, OpenTable, Pace, Regional Transportation Authority, S.Pellegrino®, Smithfield Culinary, Society Insurance, and Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits.

For more information, visit eatitupchicago.com. Fans are encouraged to follow @choosechicago on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and use #ChicagoRestaurantWeek as they post their throwback photos.

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About Choose Chicago
Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor and meetings destination, leveraging the city’s unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city and its member business community. Follow @choosechicago on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and tag #ChicagoRestaurantWeek. For more, visit www.choosechicago.com. #CaptureChicagoExcitement