FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Jane Howard, Executive Director
Gilroy Welcome Center
(408) 842-‐6436
director@gilroywelcomecenter.org
Gilroy Foodies Celebrate California Restaurant Month with the Hungry Hipsters and a “Taste of Garlic”
February 22, 2018 (Gilroy, CA):As part of January’s California Restaurant Month celebration, the Gilroy Welcome Center and Gilroy Chamber of Commerce teamed up with local restaurants to host Gilroy Restaurant Week from January 14-28. During the promotion, local residents and visitors enjoyed delicious “Taste of Garlic” dishes from 15 participating restaurants.
Gilroy was one of 36 destinations in California to participate in the promotion, which celebrated diverse culinary experiences all across the Golden State. Visit California’s comprehensive marketing campaign, which included a combination of paid digital, earned media, and owned content strategy, generated over 25.9 million total impressions. Visit Gilroy also participated in a Twitter chat hosted in partnership with #TravelSkills that reached an audience of 9.1 million.
To further promote the event, the Gilroy Welcome Center hosted foodies and social media influencers Breann Chiero and Christian Medice, co-founders of the @HungryHipsters Instagram site, which has over 130,000 followers. On January 17 and 18, Chiero and Medice posted vibrant photos of their Gilroy dining adventures, which included wine at The Stomping Grounds, dinner at The Milias Restaurant, breakfast at the Hilton Garden Inn, and lunch at Café 152 Bread Company. As the Hipsters later posted on their blog, “If a place is known for garlic, you know the food is going to be good!”
Jane Howard, Executive Director of the Gilroy Welcome Center, stated, “We loved having this opportunity to shine the spotlight on the many wonderful restaurants we have here in Gilroy—and get some added exposure for our region through our partnership with Visit California. We thank all of the restaurants and diners who participated, and hope they spread the word about all the good things there are to eat here in the Garlic Capital of the World!”
In a special raffle held for guests who sampled five or more of the “Taste of Garlic” dishes at participating restaurants, Sherrill Hugnagel of Gilroy was selected as the winner of a $500 gift card to Gilroy Premium Outlets. Hugnagel said her favorite restaurant visits were to Pineapple Village and Gilroy Garlic Casino and Restaurant.
Gilroy Restaurant Week participating restaurants included Café Thyme, Café 152 Burger Company, Claddagh Restaurant and Pub, Fifth Street Coffee, Ginger Café, Little India, Mama Mia’s, Mimi’s Café, Mr. Hong’s, Old City Hall, Victoria’s Mexican Restaurant, The Milias Restaurant, Café 152 Bread Company, Pineapple Village, and Gilroy Garlic Casino and Restaurant.
For more information, go to GilroyRestaurantWeek.com or www.visitcalifornia.com/california-restaurant-month.
