Dine of the times

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This article was published 11/07/2016 (3619 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Joe Loschiavo is creating a culinary community to help independent restaurants stay competitive.

Loschiavo, who is the co-owner of Pasquale’s Ristorante Italiano in St. Boniface (109 Marion St.), is spearheading a new initiative called the Dining Circle.

The Dining Circle is a subscription-based enterprise aimed at individuals who enjoy dining out in the city’s restaurant scene. The card costs $29 and entitles users to 10 per cent off their food bill throughout the year at affiliated restaurants with a maximum of $15, as well monthly offers.

Loschiavo said new restaurants are signing up to the initiative on monthly basis. At press time, affiliated restaurants along with Pasquale’s included Le Garage, Chaise Café & Lounge, Promenade Café and Wine, Lovey’s BBQ, Kristina’s on Corydon, Silver Heights Restaurant and Lounge, Steve’s Bistro, The Tallest Poppy, Gaffer’s Restaurant and Lounge, and Bailey’s.

“Being an independent restaurant owner for more than 25 years, I have seen my ups and downs in the industry,” Loschiavo said.

“In the last few years, we’ve seen many new restaurant chains and franchises, as well as brew pubs coming to the city. The market has become saturated, and with people’s dollars now being stretched, it’s becoming harder for independent restauranteur. Times are tough for independent owners.”

The River Heights resident said independent restaurant owners are so busy working “in” their restaurants, they have less time to work “on” their businesses. The Dining Circle is a way for participating restaurants to join forces and create a united restaurant community for individuals to enjoy, not least because it’s an efficient way to keep diners informed and up to date.

“Aside from great food and service, collecting emails and creating databases has been a great way of keeping guests returning to my restaurant, as people want deals and discounts. Creating a database of 4,000 people for Pasquale’s has worked well for me. The Dining Circle is essentially one big database that participating restaurants can take advantage of,” Loschiavo said.

“Another good thing about foodies wanting this information is that none of us are in competition with each other. We know that people don’t want pizza every day, pasta every day or ribs every day. The independent restaurant scene in Winnipeg is rich and diverse, and the bottom line is that we value our customers supporting our local independent restaurants.”

Loschiavo co-owns Pasquale’s with marketing specialist Adem Boga. While Loschiavo deals with the catering side of the business, Boga deals with matters related to marketing, including dealing with social media.

The Dining Circle card is not valid on Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and New Year’s Eve. Go online at www.thediningcircle.ca for more information. 

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com

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