Taste Of Winter Haven Offers Dining Passport To Local Eateries
by James Coulter
COVID-19 forced many people to stay at home and many businesses to close down last year. To help local eateries gain more business and inspire residents to eat out, the Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce is offering a dining passport with coupons for local restaurants.
Normally, the Chamber hosts its annual Taste of Winter Haven event, with nearly 500 attendees congregating at Venue 650 to sample dishes prepared by local eateries and catering companies. Due to the lingering threat of COVID-19, it has decided to cancel its in-person event this year.
Considering how these uncertain times have hurt local businesses by requiring them to shut down, the Chamber has decided to kill two birds with one stone by helping local restaurants gain more business and residents to eat out and partake in these eateries.
Taste Of Winter Haven Dining Passport allows residents to support their local restaurants, bars, and caterers by purchasing a booklet with special discounts and coupons. For $50, they can support their local Chamber and businesses and sample everything their local cuisine has to offer.
“But we certainly know that our restaurants and caterers need our support more than ever after the year they had, so we wanted to create something to help market and derive business to these caterers,” said Katie Worthington, Chamber President/CEO. “It is a fundraiser for the chamber, but the primary point is to push and promote and market people to visit these local restaurants and caterers.”
From fine dining at fine restaurants to down-home flavor at down-home bars, the Dining Passport opens up a wide variety of local cuisine, allowing residents to enjoy what Winter Haven has to offer. Participating eateries include:• Arabella’s Ristorante• Culvers• Elite Catering Company• Fire Restaurant • KFC Auburndale • Mediterranean Fresh Grill• Old Man Franks• Richard’s Fine Coffees• Smoothie Squad• Tanner’s Lakeside• Tempo 1930• The Catering Co of Central Florida • Union Taproom
The Dining Passport will be available on Jan. 15 and useful throughout the year until Dec. 31. Whether you purchase it now or later on, it offers you an entire year of savings to local cuisine, with savings valued at nearly $130. Not only can you enjoy local good eats, but also support small businesses after a whole year of uncertain times.
“It is a great opportunity, and it takes the excitement of the Taste of Winter Haven in-person event of trying samples and makes it something you can celebrate all year long,” Worthington said. I think what they can come to expect are some delicious meals at the participating venues. So I hope you can purchase a passport, get a date, and go out to support these local restaurants.”
The 2021 Taste of Winter Haven Dining Passport is available for $50 per booklet. For more information, visit the Chamber website at: https://www.winterhavenchamber.com/taste-of-winter-haven.html
