New York City restaurant week is underway but if you want to get in on the deals, you'll have to travel off the Island. NY1's Lindsay Tuchman filed this report.
At Da Noi, an Italian restaurant in Rosebank, the staff is prepping for a busy day, but not for New York City Restaurant Week.
The restaurant took part last year, but won’t this time around. Owner Eddie Gomez said the 2016 event just didn’t draw enough people.
"Part of the reason is because it's competing with Manhattan,” he said. “And when you're taking two different markets and putting them head to head, of course the bigger market is going to always win."
Da Noi isn't the only restaurant not participating. In fact, no Staten Island restaurants chose to take part, compared to five last year.
According to organizers with NYC&Co., for restaurant week, they did invite a number of restaurants on Staten Island to participate; however they say none chose to do so.
They also said in a statement, “We always strive for five borough participation in all of our programs and campaigns. Therefore, we encourage interested restaurants to get in touch with us at NYC& Company for more information.”
NYC&CO requires a $2,500 registration fee for restaurants, which for some on the island, isn't worth how much they make in sales.
Some residents call it a shame.
"Definitely would inspire me to go out more and eat out more for restaurant week,” one Staten Islander said. “It should be some sort of incentive program to get people to participate in Restaurant Week."
Gomez has other locations in Manhattan that are participating, but said he hopes for more Staten Island-centric events in the future.