Just in case you were looking for another reason to treat yourself to a night out in Rochester, this is it! Order some pad thai, a perfect burger, or even a popular cheesesteak and you could score some free stuff! It’s a new support local challenge happening at a few of our favorite spots.
READ MORE: New Way To Connect With Others in Rochester – Meaningful Mornings
Dine, Snap, Win: 6 Rochester Restaurants Are Serving Up Prizes on 2nd Street
This past summer, I watched business after business plead with the community to show up. Construction projects appeared to hit most of the major roads in the downtown area and as the orange cones became a standard site, parking lots started to empty. HyVee Crossroads was difficult to get to. Silver Lake Foods looked like a ghost town for a good chunk of the summer. KD Fine Jewelers announced that, due to construction, shoppers just weren’t showing up like they used to and they were closing their doors.
If you’ve been downtown lately, you know that orange cones, detours, and fences are part of our landscape now. Mayo Clinic’s massive expansion will interrupt our traffic patterns for a few years. The primary project on 2nd Street SW is the new Link Bus Rapid Transit project. Upgrades to utilities, roadway improvements, and construction of a pedestrian tunnel are all part of this specific project. Thanks to the hard work and planning for this project, Rochester should see Fare-Free, Electric Buses that run all day along the 2nd Street SW corridor and Mayo Clinic campuses by 2026.
In other words…the orange cones are going to be around for a bit on 2nd Street SW.
A few businesses on 2nd Street have started a support local challenge with rewards for food lovers to help get more people in their doors while this massive construction project is underway. If you aren’t already taking pics of your food…you may want to start.
According to a post on Facebook, here are the restaurants that are participating and how it works:
Have you ever wanted to be rewarded for going out to eat? Here’s your chance!
Canadian Honker, Red Cow, Tinns Subs, Saints on 2nd Bar & Grill, Thai-riffic Rochester MN and Francisco’s Restaurant are all collaborating on a campaign to reward your support of our businesses during construction! Here’s how you can get involved:
1.) Snap a picture of your meal from any of the restaurants listed above
2.) Post it to Facebook and/or Instagram with the tag #SupportLocalon2ndSt BY OCTOBER 31
That’s it! By doing this, you will automatically be entered in a drawing to receive prizes from each restaurant! Three winners will be chosen, and you may enter as many times as you would like to increase your chances! We will announce winners on social media on Monday, November 3rd.