TORONTO — The City of Toronto has spent more than $160,000 on a two-week promotion designed to boost sales at restaurants impacted by the King-Street streetcar pilot project, according to the Toronto Star.
The “Food is King” promotion — launched in partnership with the Ritual takeout-ordering app — is reported to have led to “significant sales increases” at businesses located near the project. The promotion, which ran from Feb. 20 to March 4, offered a city-subsidized $15 credit to eligible Ritual users for purchases at more than 50 restaurants on or near King Street within the pilot area.
According to figures released by the city, data collected through the Ritual app indicates the promotion led to more than 27,000 additional orders and a $426,000 increase in sales placed through the app compared to the weekly average three weeks before the promotion.
The King Street Transit Pilot, which launched in November, has been a point of contention for many foodservice establishments in the pilot area.
Al Carbone, owner of the Kit Kat Italian Bar and Grill, has been particularly vocal in his opposition of the pilot. In January, he installed a variety of ice sculptures protesting the project and even organized a game of road hockey right on King Street.
