In a press release, Visit Ogden noted that its annual Ogden Eats promotion — Held each year since 2013 — is set to start this week. Ogden Eats is scheduled to run Nov. 5-15 with dining deals and special menus.

“Supported by participating restaurants and community businesses that work with the local restaurant industry, Ogden Eats is a collaborative marketing campaign designed to promote independently owned restaurants,” the release said. “Contributions from restaurants, food and beverage distributors, suppliers and other community partners help fund a coordinated marketing effort through Visit Ogden.”

Visit Ogden Director of Marketing and Communications Taylor Hartman told the Standard-Examiner on Tuesday that several local restaurants will be part of this year’s celebration.

“People can look forward to all 16 participating restaurants creating really well-curated seasonal menu items and then deals that can help people as they go out to eat and support local during an uncertain economic time and the holiday season approaching,” he said.

According to the release, participating restaurants include:

• Warren’s Craft Burger
• Taboo Pizza — Riverwalk
• Table 25
• Roosters Brewing Co.
• UTOG Brewing
• The Mercantile on 25th Street
• Slackwater Pub & Pizzeria
• Union Grill
• Hilton Garden Grille & Lounge
• Tona Sushi Bar & Grill
• Steve’s Black Sabbath BBQ
• Ramen Haus
• Hearth on 25th
• Lucky Slice Pizza
• Ogden Beer Company
• The Sonora Grill

Hartman said specialties can change from restaurant to restaurant.

“Places like Steve’s Black Sabbath Barbecue is offering a free dessert with the purchase of an entree,” he said. “The Mercantile has created some really incredible menu items as well as Tona.”

He said Ogden Eats has been a mainstay in Ogden since 2013 with the biggest change being 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic when Visit Ogden got state funding to distribute gift cards instead.

Hartman said this timeframe has seen the promotion grow, but it’s also seen some of the realities of the restaurant industry on full display.

“Sponsorship dollars have increased by an incredible amount,” he said. “Some of our sponsors come in and really help support the restaurants that they partner with. The other thing is as the years have gone by, new restaurants have popped up, old restaurants have closed. If you look at the participant list in 2013, there were some places that no longer exist in Ogden. We try to be as cutting-edge as humanly possible. We try to identify and promote local restaurants that are trending and independently owned in the downtown Ogden area.”

He said promotions like Ogden Eats are critical for local entities as they compete with larger industry chains.

“This is one of my favorite advertising campaigns that we do all year,” he said. “It’s so important to support local restaurants. These restaurants can’t do a marketing campaign like what we’re doing. A rising tide lifts all ships. The only way that we can compete with the chains that are taking over the world is by coming together as a group and celebrating locally independent restaurants.”

For more information on Ogden Eats, visit https://www.visitogden.com/ogden-eats/.