Investing in the strength of your local community couldn’t be simpler – or tastier – with food and drink festival Taste of the Tri-Cities making its four-week return to Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody eateries this month. All you have to do is dine locally.
From Feb. 17 to March 12, an eclectic mix of participating restaurants, breweries, distilleries, fast food joints, cafes and eateries will be offering exclusive deals to customers, including special menus, tasty take-out features and discounts.
It’s the perfect opportunity to explore and highlight our excellent local cuisine, all while investing dollars into our own community, says Christina Brown, operations manager of festival partner, the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce.
“A lot of people tend to look to downtown Vancouver, or even Burnaby or New West, if they want a fancy dinner out, but we have so many great places right here. You don’t have to drive all the way to Granville Island!” she says. “So, we’re hoping to bring more awareness to our local businesses.”
More than 45 local businesses are registered to participate this year. Among these restaurants are bakeries, coffee spots, cake shops, pizza places and even vegan havens waiting to be explored.
The Taste of the Tri-Cities festival has been running since 2021. It was launched by the community partners group, the Tri-Local Collective, to support the local business community that was struggling to thrive during the pandemic and the typically-slower winter months.
“In 2021, I remember participating in the Taste of the Tri-Cities festival as a consumer. My favourite part of it all was just discovering all these new places that I had no idea existed,” says Brown. “I encourage everyone to keep an eye out for these one-off, unique deals that would otherwise not be available anywhere else.”
And whether you’re looking to get 15 per cent off delicious Mexican food at Loz TaKos, peruse Fairways Grill & Patio’s special set menus for $32 lunch or $38 dinner or enjoy Cannoli King’s 2-for-1 pastries from Monday to Friday, there’s certainly something for everyone.
“For every $100 spent at an independent business, $63 is recirculated back into the local economy, while only $14 trickles down from the multinationals. This money is reinvested into the community through charitable donations, taxes, job creation and supply-chain management,” explains Brown.
“Overall, money spent on our local economy impacts our community 4.6x more than money spent elsewhere. We believe that by showing our neighbours how their money is making a difference, it will encourage them to continue supporting the Tri-Cities.”
Tri-Local, itself, also began in response to the COVID-19 pandemic back in early 2020. When the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce saw local businesses were struggling amidst the lockdowns and capacity restrictions, they reached out to their partners and formed a group dedicated to engaging with, educating and motivating the local community to help local businesses survive.
Since those dark days, Tri-Local has adjusted that goal to helping these businesses thrive – and Taste of the Tri-Cities is one of the ways they’re doing this.
“Anytime that consumers can support local businesses, it really ends up helping the community as a whole – and this festival, in my opinion, makes that fun and delicious. Shopping locally has never been so easy and delicious!” says Brown.
For more information on the Taste of the Tri-Cities food and drink festival, please visit Tri-Local’s website at https://www.trilocal.ca/taste-of-the-tricities. You can also follow their Instagram page at @trilocalnow.
