Restaurant Weeks’ “Best in Wayne” winners

By Sarah Shurge – The fourth annual Downtown Wayne Restaurant Week happened last month from Saturday, April 18th – Sunday, April 26th.
“Restaurant Week continues to grow each year, and it just keeps getting better and better,” said Lisa Kubany, Wayne Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Marketing and Events Director. “This year was our best yet. We saw a tremendous level of participation from our community, from both Wayne residents and surrounding cities.”
The following businesses participated in restaurant week: Amo Sami’s Shawarma, The Avenue American Bistro, Billi’s Shawarma, Brookies Café, China Garden, Donut Craze, Karma Coffee and Kitchen, Lady Di’s House of Soul Food, L. George’s Coney Island, Lee’s Chicken, My Place Restaurant, Nick’s Coney Island, The Red Apple Restaurant, Steve’s Coney Island, Tropical Smoothie Café, US12 Bar and Grill / Mike & Mona’s, and Wayne Chicken and Fish.
“To our participating businesses, thank you for being such an important part of Restaurant Week. Your passion, creativity, and connection to the community truly helped make this event what it was,” said Kubany.
This year guests could scan the QR code on the tables at participating restaurants to not only enter to win $200 in gift cards but also to cast their vote for “Best in Wayne.” The categories were: Best Burger, Best Pizza, Best Breakfast, Best Cocktail, and Best Vibe.
348 participants submitted a total of 834 votes. One person was selected from the 348 entries to win $200 in gift cards.
The gift cards winner was Matt Bolda from Dearborn Heights. Bolda entered four different times throughout the week.
“Congratulations to Matt! We want to thank all of the individuals who came out, supported our Wayne businesses, and took the time to vote making this event an incredible success,” said Kubany. “We understand that dining out is often a special treat, especially in today’s economy, which makes it even more meaningful when people choose to spend that time and money in Wayne. We are truly grateful for that support.”

Wayne’s Best Restaurant Week winners (voted by the community) have been announced:
1) Best Burger (80 of 195 votes): Red Apple Restaurant
2) Best Pizza (81 of 136 votes): Red Apple Restaurant
3) Best Breakfast (108 of 227 votes): Red Apple Restaurant
4) Best Cocktail (35 of 68 votes): The Avenue American Bistro
5) Best Overall Vibe (58 of 208 votes): Karma Coffee and Kitchen
“Way to go, Red Apple! Congratulations on a great accomplishment. Your connection with your customers really shines through, and it’s clear how much they support you.” said Kubany. “Congratulations to Karma Coffee and The Avenue! These awards really show how much you mean to the community.”
US12 Bar and Grill / Mike & Mona’s and Amo Sami’s Shawarma represented Wayne on Fox 2 and WDIV Local 4.
“It was truly an honor to highlight the incredible food and talent within our community on a larger stage,” said Kubany. “A special thank you to Mike & Mona’s US-12 Bar & Grill and Amo Sami’s Shawarma. We hope you felt a strong sense of pride seeing your businesses featured, and that you received an outpouring of support from friends, family, and customers who were excited to see you on TV.”
Wayne’s Best winners will be recognized at an upcoming City Council meeting, so stay tuned to the DDA Facebook page for more details.
“This marks my fourth year promoting Wayne Restaurant Week, and it has been incredible to see how much it has grown since the beginning. It means a great deal to me, to be part of something that celebrates where I come from and helps highlight everything our city has to offer,” said Kubany. “For those who live here or grew up here, you understand just how strong and connected this community is. There is a real sense of pride in our town, and we cherish every opportunity to showcase it.”
If you missed Restaurant Week, we still encourage you to dine in Wayne and visit any of the businesses that participated. Support local. Support Wayne!