{"id":13953,"date":"2020-05-04T15:08:46","date_gmt":"2020-05-04T19:08:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/?p=13953"},"modified":"2022-01-12T12:07:05","modified_gmt":"2022-01-12T17:07:05","slug":"407dates-support-local-restaurants-and-connect-through-new-online-events-dinner-deals-and-cooking-kits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/2020\/05\/407dates-support-local-restaurants-and-connect-through-new-online-events-dinner-deals-and-cooking-kits\/","title":{"rendered":"#407Dates: Support local restaurants and connect through new online events, dinner deals and cooking kits"},"content":{"rendered":"

Orange County<\/a> and Visit Orlando<\/a> recently launched \u201c407 Dates\u201d \u2013 a new pride campaign named after the longtime Orange County area code, designed to generate local restaurant support and encourage “date nights” with virtual events and dining deals to make weekends in May special. Through \u201c407 Dates\u201d, residents can enjoy virtual events each Friday and Saturday evening such as live-streamed music concerts, interactive Orlando-themed trivia shows and world-class theme park entertainment, as they order takeout\/delivery found on the Orlando To Go website with over 500 local restaurants on VisitOrlando.com\/togo<\/a>. Restaurants may begin offering indoor seating at 25 percent capacity beginning Monday, May 4, 2020, but takeout and delivery services continue to be important to serve residents and support local businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring this uncertain time, it is more important than ever to take a moment to relax with your spouse or significant other in your life,\u201d said Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings. \u201cMy wife and I try to order takeout for weekly date nights and I always look forward to spending a special evening with her, just the two of us. We are regulars at Bonefish Grill restaurants, and love their seafood.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are staying home together, or separated across various locations, you can still make the weekends special, and we\u2019re helping to do that in a way that also supports our local businesses,\u201d said George Aguel, president and CEO of Visit Orlando. \u201cWhether it\u2019s with your spouse, child, or friends, we encourage everyone to join in and carve out some quality time for a great meal and fun Orlando entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Visit Orlando is creating themed online events for Friday and Saturdays in May, along with date night meals and packages from restaurants, all of which can be found on the VisitOrlando.com blog<\/a>, and on @Visit Orlando\u2019s Facebook channel<\/a>. Participants are encouraged to share photos of their virtual date night ideas with the hashtags #407Dates and #OrlandoToGo with @VisitOrlando<\/em>\u2019s\u00a0and @OrangeCo<\/em>FL<\/em>\u2019s social media\u00a0channels, including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.<\/p>\n

DATE NIGHT DINING<\/strong><\/p>\n

Around Central Florida, restaurants are featuring a variety of new options for date nights, including special meal and cocktail\/wine combos; make-it-together meal kits of restaurant favorites from grilled steaks to rolled sushi; and specialty deliveries from cheese and charcuterie boards to ramen bowls.<\/p>\n

DATE NIGHT EVENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

To pair with Orlando’s takeout and delivery options, Visit Orlando has developed a calendar of virtual events on social media for the weekends.<\/p>\n