Restaurants everywhere are trying to find ways to get going again as we slowly emerge from the Coronavirus pandemic. Let’s Lunch is a great community initiative from the new non-profit organisation Amigo del Día. It involves restaurants creating a set menu for people to enjoy with family and friends, available for 11 days as a takeaway that they can pick up or have delivered – or have on the premises – depending on the circumstances.
When is it happening?
Let’s Lunch is taking place from July 20th to 30th .
July 20th is the “Día Del Amigo”, an annual celebration of friendship in Argentina and July 30th is the United Nations’ International Day of Friendship.
What’s behind the idea?
When you think about it, we all have emotional attachments to lots of restaurants and this is a way of gently nudging you to reconnect with your local favourites. These could be places you have been going to for years, maybe your go-tos for birthday meals and other special occasions, or somewhere that is on the corner of your street where you eat every week. But hopefully it will also encourage you to look again at restaurants that may have been on your radar for ages but you hadn’t got around to trying. This is all about giving a boost to independent restaurants when they need it most – your support will help them stay in business.
So what are we going to eat?
Let’s Lunch was inspired by the Spanish Menu del Día, a set-price lunch menu introduced in the 1960s to ensure that people could have a decent meal at a price they could afford and stimulate the economy at the same time. Many restaurants in Spain still offer this bargain option on weekdays and it usually comprises a starter, main course and dessert plus wine, beer, water or a soft drink.
For Let’s Lunch, each participating restaurant will decide on a menu based on their specialities and what they can create at a reasonable price. Don’t expect a lot of choice; keeping it simple is what keeps the price down.
How you can get your restaurant involved
You just need to create a menu – it can be takeaway, delivery or dine in – with your two or three-course meal with drinks or sides and decide which days suit you for it to be available. Have a look at this how-to guide. Then register your restaurant (no cost).
From mid-June customers will be able to search for restaurants participating in the Let’s Lunch movement by city, type of food, delivery, or eat-in options. They will also be able to contact and order from participating restaurants directly, removing heavy third-party commissions.
Tell me more about Amigo del Día
Amigo Del Día is a global, non-profit initiative that aims to help support and rebuild local, independently-owned restaurants affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The movement aims to generate awareness and PR for local restaurants, helping them rebuild and reconnect with their communities and attract new customers. The idea for Amigo del Día was conceived early in the lockdown by two Barcelona-based entrepreneurs: Spanish-Australian marketer Chelsea Anthon and American restaurant owner Erin Nixon, along with social media strategist Mila Nikolova and food-tour guide Lior Shechori. Amigo del Día is looking for creatives, foodies, bloggers and food/wine professionals to join their growing team of ambassadors, help recruit restaurants, and spread the word about their initiative. Everyone is working for free, fired up by a passion for restaurants and good food.
Got any questions?
You can find out more on www.amigodeldia.org or by emailing hola@amigodeldia.org
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Mooching around Spain 