Visit Sarasota County Wants You to Dine Local in New Campaign

From pumpkin spice to peppermint, Visit Sarasota County’s (VSC) newest campaign, Fun in the 941: The Local Bite, is encouraging two months of culinary discovery with compelling deals for visitors and residents alike. This 60-day promotional spotlight runs from October 20 to December 20, with a focus on bringing business to local restaurants heading into Sarasota County’s peak tourism season.

Participating restaurants are sharing several kinds of dining promotions, from happy hours and seasonal menus to chef’s specials, prix fixe experiences, and limited-time offers. These deals will be featured on Funinthe941.com and on VSC’s social media channels. The tourism bureau will also make a dedicated local dining push with a regional influencer blitz, with other in-person and digital promotions planned throughout the holidays. 

“While local restaurants have long taken part in our Fun in the 941 deals program, we’re hoping to create not just a moment but an occasion for people to dine out, dine often, and dine locally,” said Erin Duggan, President and CEO at Visit Sarasota County. “This campaign was inspired by feedback we’ve been hearing from our dining partners, and we wanted to be responsive. The holiday season couldn’t be a better time to drive interest and appetites, from trick-or-treating to tree lighting and all the shopping sprees in between.” 

The campaign builds off the momentum of Savor Sarasota, VSC’s annual restaurant week. This past June, Savor Sarasota celebrated its 20^th Anniversary and invited the community to make reservations at more than 60 participating restaurants – with a delicious return of $1.2 million in revenue during a traditionally slow period of tourism. 

Now through December 20, residents are encouraged to promote their dining experiences using #SavorThe941 and tagging @VisitSarasotaCounty on Instagram to join the conversation. If your restaurant would like to participate, contact [email protected]. 

To whet your appetite and scope out your next reservation, visit www.funinthe941.com.  

About Visit Sarasota County

Visit Sarasota County (VSC) is the official tourism marketing entity and primary provider of visitor information for Sarasota County where tourism is the top industry. Through programs and partnerships, VSC makes Sarasota County a better place by promoting our community on the world stage. These efforts bring together over 450 partners to keep visitors coming, local businesses open and residents employed all year. VSC is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program, a program of the Destination Management Association International (DMAI). To learn more, visit www.visitsarasota.com. 

# # #