FENTON (WJRT) (01/25/18)--Twelve restaurants working together, to bring in traffic and give visitors a taste of something new. That's the theme behind the third annual Fenton Restaurant Week. It runs through Saturday night.
"It's really awesome and great for the food industry. It's great for the people of Fenton and surrounding areas. It gives them an opportunity in January when nothing is going on to get out and try some places they've never tried before," said The Laundry co-owner Mark Hamel.
The Laundry, on West Shiawassee Avenue, is leading the charge. Each establishment is offering menus with discounted prices.
"Places that have been here for a long time like the Fenton Hotel, brand new places like the Fenton Fire Hall. We have places with entertainment like the Corner Bar & Grill, a great bakery downtown, we have a speakeasy," said Hamel.
Restaurant Week happens to coincide with the Laundry's 20th anniversary.
"It's tough to survive that long and we're really happy that we've been able to do that, and we've been part of the growth of the community for 20 years," said Hamel.
The belief is that being unique is a key factor in getting customers to walk in, and to hopefully come back.
"There's a trend in the restaurant industry of people liking local places. When people come to visit them, they like to take them to local places and not chain stores," said Hamel.
The name"The Laundry" actually reflects that local philosophy.
"This building used to be a laundry back in the 30s in Fenton. It started out as the Laundra-Ease. It was a place where people brought their laundry for a long time."
And as for the Laundry's Restaurant Week offerings, it's high end comfort food, with a mix of old standards and something new.
"We do a carbonara which is pork belly, We get it nice and crisp, add lots of fat and cream to it, and cheese. It's really scrumchous. All that healthy stuff," said Executive Chef Jody Brunori.