Go out to eat in SLO, earn a gift card. Dining bonus is back and here’s how it works
San Luis Obispo wants to reward you for dining locally this month.
The Eat Local Bonus, a partnership between the city and San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce, will once again offer $25 gift cards to diners who spend $100 at eateries in the city in January.
The gift cards will be available while supplies last.
The program comes after the holiday Buy Local Bonus program “injected more than $940,000” into the local economy and helped bolster retailers, according to a news release.
It’s the second year in a row that the chamber and the city have partnered to support local restaurants.
“We’re excited to support SLO’s food and beverage industry heading into this new year,” city economic development and tourism manager Molly Cano said in the release. “San Luis Obispo has a plethora of delicious options to enjoy, so get out there, support your favorite dining establishments and get rewarded.”
Last year’s Eat Local Bonus program resulted in $170,564 in direct local spending in San Luis Obispo, with 1,108 qualified entries from diners and 2,345 receipts submitted, according to the release.
The reward program takes place in January because it is a time “many local eateries typically see a dip in customers,” according to the release.
“January is often the slowest month for restaurants, so opting to dine locally makes a world of difference at this time of the year,” chamber President Jim Dantona said in the release. “Eat Local Bonus not only incentivizes diners to support our SLO food and beverage establishments, it also stretches diners’ budgets and puts money back in their pocket.”
How to qualify for SLO dining gift card
To qualify for a gift card, spend $100 or more on food and beverages at any San Luis Obispo restaurant, bakery, brewery or coffee shop and then bring a copy of your itemized receipt to the San Luis Obispo Visitor Center, located at 895 Monterey St.
Participants can then choose between available gift cards, according to the release.
The program will continue until funds are exhausted. Shoppers can qualify up to three times through Jan. 31 or until the program sells out, the release said.
To encourage further support for local dining establishments, the city is also debuting SLO Restaurant Week, where participating dining establishments will offer 10 days of “Perfect Pairings,” according to the release.
From Jan. 12-21, diners at any participating eatery are entered to win a grand prize, which includes gift cards from all participating restaurants.
For more information about the Eat Local Bonus program, visit slocity.org/EatLocalBonus.
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