Houston Restaurant Weeks: How Some Montrose Restaurants Fared

The Houston Press caught up with Montrose restaurants Radical Eats and Eleven XI to find out how Houston Restaurant Weeks went. Both had positive things to say about the charitable phenomenon, which culminates in a huge amount of money donated to the Houston Food Bank every year.

Radical Eats owner Staci Davis participated in the month-long eating extravaganza for the first time, and learned a lot in this “trial by fire.” She told Houston Press that her business was booming, with increased traffic of near 20 percent, but also admitted that at times, the extra attendance was hard to manage on the restaurant’s end of things. Davis vows to “gear up” for next year to ensure things run smoothly. She also learned how to better plan the special menu.

Joe Welborn, general manager of Eleven XI, analyzed their second year participating and found great results. He estimated that close to 38 percent of patrons visiting the restaurant during the month of August ordered the special Restaurant Weeks menu. With a little bit of strategy — offering add ons, beverage pairings and desserts for an extra charge — the restaurant was able to keep up with increased traffic, make money and donate a healthy sum of money to the Houston Food Bank, prompting Welborn to call Restaurant Weeks the equivalent of “Christmas in August.”