Washington DC Event

A while back we blogged about how some restaurants were trying to stimulate business by offering recession specials to both diners and meeting planners. Not surprisingly, however, the poor economy continues to make it tough for restaurants. In fact, according to a recent USA Today article, shares of the top 26 restaurant companies have seen their stocks lose an average 49.3 percent of their value from their highest points over the past 52 weeks.

Many restaurants are expanding their efforts to get more patronage by hosting special events. Morton's, The Steakhouse, for example, is hosting its "Lunch with a Legend" series in cities across the nation. Bringing together "legendary food, drinks and area sports icons into a prime slice of the Good Life," the series invites guests to a three-course lunch where they can meet famous sports legends. The upcoming Washington, DC event, for example, features Washington Redskins Super Bowl Champion Joe Theismann, while the Pittsburgh event featured former Steelers Andy Russell and Mike Wagner.

What types of things have you seen restaurants doing to boost business? Would you visit restaurants you normally wouldn't go to if they were hosting intriguing events?