SUPPORTING EATERIES
Restaurant Week to begin this weekend
TROY, N.Y. » Downtown Troy is gearing up for its 2020 Troy Restaurant Week, at a time when local businesses are seeking support.
Troy Restaurant Week is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 4 through Sunday, Sept. 13 at dozens of participating eateries in downtown Troy.
This annual event has been extended this year to include two weekends, the first being the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Throughout this 10- day period, all are invited to enjoy the diverse culinary landscape of downtown Troy with a wide selection of discounts, course meals, dinner pairings and events.
This year’s offerings will include not only on- site dining, including many restaurants with outdoor patios, but takeout and curbside pickup too.
“With an extended Restaurant Week you have every excuse to pig out all week long with delicious meals from your favorite downtown Troy restaurants,” said Katie Hammon, executive director of the Downtown Troy Business Improvement District, which organizes the yearly event. “Not only will you find yummy treats and savory breakfast, lunch and dinner options, you will also be supporting your community of local small business owners. Dine in, takeout or order online to support local businesses and enjoy a taste of Troy every night of the week!
After a difficult few months during the COVID-19 shutdown, many area restaurants are hoping that the upcoming Troy Restaurant Week will help boost their business.
“Due to the nature of the pandemic, small businesses have been hit particularly hard. While it has always been important to frequent your lo
cal small business community, they need your support more now than ever before,” Hammon said. “Your continued support allows your neighboring businesses to not only stay open but to employ members of your community, contribute to the local tax base and continue to provide incredible personalized services based on community needs.”
The BID is advertising downtown Troy as a safe, walkable environment with many diverse businesses to frequent. “Businesses downtown offer a safe in person experience, outdoor dining, delivery and takeout services as well as online shopping through business websites,” Hammon said, adding that for individuals concerned about going out in public there remain opportunities to shop, dine and explore Troy from the comforts of home.
Among the restaurants participating in the 2020 Troy Restaurant Week is Troy’s oldest restaurant Manory’s, which was first established in 1913.
This Restaurant Week, Manory’s will offer a breakfast sandwich special. “We wanted to offer some cheap eats and showcase our favorite item - the Manory’s Breakfast Sandwich,” said co- owner Anthony Marchese, noting that the sandwiches are made on local bakery fresh hard rolls using fresh cooked ingredients, with lots of variations.
“There’s lots of fancy, hip establishments that make up Troy’s food scene. We’re the longest tenured business, 107 years open. We wanted to stick to our basics and represent our easy going, cozy and casual nature,” Marchese said. “Our favorite thing about Manory’s is that we see people from all walks of life. Every age, profession, and background all eating around our counter or relaxing in booths together. In a lot of ways we’re the only place like that downtown now - there’s lots of wonderful new, hip specialty spots but we are very much classic, original Troy and we’re proud of it!”
Newcomers among the Troy business community like Unbelievable Nutrition are looking forward to the occasion too.
Located at 95 Fourth St. in Troy, Unbelievable Nutrition is participating in its second annual Restaurant Week.
Founder and owner Amanda Ziter opened Unbelievable Nutrition in August of 2019. “I started this dream before COVID and it was wonderful,” she said, sharing that since the pandemic hit the business has experienced a big loss.
To entrepreneurs like Ziter, efforts such as Restaurant Week are important. “We’re hoping to get people back out in the area,” she said.
For this Restaurant Week, Unbelievable Nutrition will offer protein shakes and energizing teas, including decadent fall flavors like pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin banana bread.
Local business Copper Pot is also participating in its second Restaurant Week as part of the River Street Market food hall.
“Based on last year’s experience, Restaurant Week was a huge success,” said chef and owner Susan Dunckel, who is eager to show off some delicious cuisine again this year.
Especially with Copper Pot’s setting in a large facility that allows for adequate ventilation and social distancing, matched with a quick service concept, she said, “It’s just a perfect fit for us to go ahead and put out our best for Restaurant Week.”
In designing her Restaurant Week menu, Dunckel kept in mind that customers’ budgets may be a bit tighter than usual. Copper Pot’s $7 breakfast special includes a two egg, bacon and cheese breakfast croissant sandwich as well as home fries and an iced chai latte. For $10 during lunchtime, Copper Pot is offering a demi flank steak salad with smoked blue cheese and bacon dressing, served with a slice of lemon meringue pie and the cafe’s signature sparkling peach ice tea.
“We tried to keep those price points low and include combo meals where it’s just one flat price for the whole meal, the whole experience,” Dunckel said. “We’re trying to be very fair about pricing.”
While Copper Pot is keeping its patrons’ budgets in mind, Dunckel is hopeful that diners will consider spending their money at small, locally owned eateries this Restaurant Week and throughout the ongoing pandemic.
“The pandemic has been so hard that in my location only three of the six businesses have been able to reopen, as of right now,” Dunckel shared, “and I think that’s pretty reflective of small businesses, especially food service businesses, in general, that there’s a 50 percent reopen rate.”
Since Copper Pot’s reopening in early July, “We’re proud of our customers who’ve been supporting us. There’s been enough support to keep us going,” Dunckel said, “but it’s really like teetering on the edge of a razor blade.”