Whip out your forks, unfold your napkins and put your eating pants on because Turlock’s first-ever, week-long dining extravaganza is coming to town.

Turlock Restaurant Week is hoping to kick off 2018 in a delicious way, inviting the community to come together for ten days of feasting and post-holiday celebration of the local eateries that help the city thrive. Diners can expect week-long deals at participating businesses, like discounted menu items, special three-course meals, drink specials and more, said Ali Cox-Verissimo, who is hosting the event through her own local business, Ali Cox & Company Marketing.

“As a downtown business we love eating our way through the workweek – we support local all day, every day. Turlock Restaurant Week is our agency’s baby and we’re so excited to see this event program grow through the years,” said Cox-Verissimo. “After experiencing restaurant weeks in New York City, San Francisco and Austin, I’ve always known that a restaurant week could thrive in our town. With our agency’s dynamic team, we have the experience, creativity and drive to see this through.”

When Cox-Verissimo lived in New York, she frequently took advantage of the different restaurant options available to her through similar events. She wanted to give the Turlock community the same opportunity, she said.

“Turlock’s thriving restaurant scene is just really dynamic,” said Cox-Verissimo. “With so many locally-owned restaurants, we wanted to make sure and support those restaurants in what can be more of a quiet time of year for dining out, and especially create some buzz around different kinds of menus and the specialty items that they serve.”

As of Dec. 26, there are 14 local businesses participating in TRW: The Udder Place, The Tri-Tipery, Toscana’s Ristorante, Red Brick Bar & Grill, Olde Tyme Pastries, Lisa’s Cookie Jar, Latif’s Restaurant, Hauck’s Bar & Grill, The Grand Cru, Dust Bowl Brewing Co. Downtown Taproom, El Charro, Center Street Grill, Bistro 234 and Angelini’s Italian Restaurant.

While the specific menu items and deals for TRW aren’t yet set in stone, Cox-Verissimo promises an experience like no other. The event’s sponsor, web-based community calendar HeyTurlock, will be announcing menu items, discounts and participants on their Instagram account as they are confirmed.

Restaurant owners and managers who would like to participate in TRW can still do so by applying online, as long as they do so by Jan. 12. Any restaurant with an address in Turlock or the surrounding towns of Hilmar, Denair, Hughson or Ballico may participate, and from now through Dec. 31, registration is $100. After Jan. 1, the registration is $125. All businesses must also provide two $25 gift cards, which will be used for social media contest prizes.

“These restaurants are going to get a lot of great promotion, and hopefully some new people in the door who are maybe incentivized to come and try a new restaurant,” said Cox-Verissimo. “We want to create a lot of excitement about what is basically one, unified event that supports all of Turlock’s restaurants.”

Examples of promotions that TRW has provided for applicants include multiple-course meals, menu discounts, specialty desserts, specialty drinks and live music or date night specials. The Turlock Journal will publish all specials for the event when they are finalized.

“This is going to open people’s horizons about what we have in Turlock, and I’m hoping people find a new spot they love and frequent and are excited to go to,” said Cox-Verissimo. “We love our local businesses and I feel so fortunate to be able to live here and experience all of these great restaurants.”

Turlock Restaurant Week will take place Jan. 19-28. No tickets or passes are required – diners simply dine out as much as they want and take advantage of the week’s deals.

For more information or to register as a restaurant, visit www.turlockrestaurantweek.com.