Eateries struggling as Triangle Restaurant Week approaches

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Triangle Restaurant Week is just over a week away from beginning, and now more than ever, businesses now need your help.

For the past 15 years, Triangle Restaurant Week has featured a variety of eateries in Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill.

The special week helps restaurants bring in new customers and show off new menu items to their regulars.

You're able to choose from two course or three course options for a fixed price between $20 and $50. But this year-it's been much harder to get restaurants to participate.

"Restaurant week in the last couple of years has been rough because of the pandemic and now with the rising food costs and the worker shortages. It's really a tough time to be a restaurant owner," said Damon Butler, Triangle Restaurant Week founder.

There are about 10 restaurants signed up so far. In the past, they've had more than 100. Restaurants say high food prices and staffing issues are to blame.

"Restaurants have had a tremendous amount of curveballs this year. Not only have the food costs been exorbitantly high including the meat costs but also with the worker shortages it's been tough to find folks to come work in the restaurants, so when they do get the spike during restaurant week they really want to make customers have a great experience and it's been hard this time around," Butler said.

For an updated list of all the restaurants participating, click here.