For two weeks, two times a year, Hoosiers can enjoy a three-course meal for a fraction of the price with Indiana Restaurants and Lodging Association’s initiative, Devour Indy.
With Indiana as the “Crossroads of America,” it is not surprising that we have a lot of diversity in eats all around Central Indiana. Even more so we have plenty of small businesses and restaurants in Indianapolis and the broader Marion County area, home to 900,000 residents, according to NCH Stats.
When Devour Indy comes in, said Event Coordinator for the RLA Jairo Ruiz, is during the slow season for restaurants: after the winter holidays and summer breaks. This is typically where a business may find itself struggling economically.
“One of the main goals of Devour Indy is to support local businesses in the Indiana community through slower periods of the year,” Ruiz said. “… So this event was kind of curated to help economic growth around the city for restaurants during slower times. And Devour is set for four weeks out of the year. There’s Winterfest and Summerfest. So we try to pick dates and times that make the most sense for restaurants where we could support them a little more.”
Well-known within the city, restaurants send the menus to Devour, said Ruiz, so that they appear on the website for consumers to view. While it is Devour Indy, it has expanded outside of Indianapolis, impacting neighboring cities for participation, Ruiz said.
“It’s pretty city-based. We do northside, southside, Midtown, which would be Broad Ripple, and in Indianapolis,” Ruiz said. “The heart of it is in Indianapolis, but we try to spread our hands across the whole state. Our end goal eventually is through the whole state of Indiana … be able to participate.”
A small business in Plainfield, Indiana, Oasis Diner, participates in Devour Indy. On its menu, you will be able to find a selection of starters, sandwiches and desserts to choose from for its three-course selection. Kayley Casey, a waitress at Oasis Diner, said that the restaurant has the charm of an old diner with counters, classics and the same interior it had when the diner originally opened in New Jersey.
But beyond the diversity of restaurants in Indy, Ruiz said that Devour Indy offers a chance for college students to diversify what they are eating. A change from the dining hall or nearby fast-food places, Ruiz said Devour gives students an excuse to try something new for a lower price.
“It gives, you know, the college kids a reason to go on a date, a reason to hang out with friends, a reason to just go out and try great food. And I think that gives students who are going through the college life an opportunity to do something on a weekend than something else they already do, consistently.”
For Devour Indy, the food experience does not stop at sit-down restaurants. Ruiz said Devour has already expanded to different restaurants, and hopes to work with even more.
“The really cool thing about Devour, it’s not necessarily restricted to sit-down locations,” Ruiz said. “Cluster Truck does their open kitchen where you kind of have food ordered to you. … And then we also have Herculean meal prep, which has pre-made meals that you can stop by and pick up. … It’s open to anybody who really serves a meal.”
With a wide variety of eats to choose from, this semi-annual event has already ended for its Winterfest. However, there is a Summerfest that will happen mid-year. Looking at Devour Indy’s website, you can narrow your restaurant search by filter: area, cuisine type, menu type, price range and things like pet-friendliness or minority-owned restaurants. All that being said, are you ready to devour, Indy?
