Biking this week will save you more than just gas money. Bike-to-Eat Week (BTEW) is a project giving cyclists discounts at certain locally owned restaurants in Austin. All you have to do is show up on a bike to automatically receive a 10 percent discount on any of these restaurants.
“The idea is to bring restaurants which are part of the local community, the Austin community, on the radar of the cycling community,” says Christopher Stanton, executive director and founder of the Ghisallo Foundation, which created Bike-to-Eat Week. “This will as a result bring the idea of engaging with that cycling community at large to the restaurant.”
The Ghisallo Foundation began as a passionate bike-racing team with a commitment to the environment. Just last year, USA Cycling awarded them the distinction of “Best New Club” in America, as well as the 2011 Keep Austin Beautiful Litter Abatement award for their high volume clean-ups in the Austin Area.
“This is a way to try to establish a cross connection between the business community and cycling community,” Stanton explained, “as well as impact cycling as transportation and reduce pollution.”
Now in its second year, the BTEW program boasts 23 participating restaurants. As that number continues to grow in Austin, the Ghisallo Foundation is looking to expand the project to cities like San Antonio, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Minneapolis.
