A: To make a reservation, please call participating restaurants or food service establishments directly.

A: Restaurant hours are listed on their program profile page; however, we recommend that you confirm with the restaurant directly.

A: Since this a highly anticipated event, it is best to make a reservation as early as possible as restaurants will book up. We recommend calling 7-10 days in advance for reservations.

A: Each restaurant creates a special locally-focused feature menu for the promotion. Gratuity is not included in the pricing. Restaurant staff always appreciate gratuity or tipping for good service.

A: Some restaurants will offer prix fixe menus – in those cases, the prix fixe will generally include an appetizer, dessert and an entrée. Beverages, including coffee and tea, are generally not included in prix fixe menus.

A: This dining out promotion is as much about the ingredients and the producers as the flavours that are created. Participating restaurants will include details of the local BC producers and products on the menu. Dishes may have a number of BC ingredients; however, to be eligible for this promotion, the core or ‘hero’ ingredient in the dish needs to be grown, harvested or produced in BC and will need to be identified as such. Potential hero proteins include, but are not limited to, Fraser Valley Chicken, Cariboo Beef, Comox Valley Pork, Pacific Salmon, Okanagan Char and Fanny Bay Oysters.

A: All comments about a restaurant's menu and service should be directed to the particular restaurant. You can call the BC Restaurant and Food Services Association at 604.669.2239 for questions or comments about the promotion overall.

A: Buy BC: EAT DRINK LOCAL is a new promotion that will bring the attention of the media and influencers to BC restaurants that are championing local food. We know that with local food on the table, diners will experience fresher and tastier food, and purchasing B.C. product stimulates our local economy. More money stays in your restaurant and in your community. Simply put, BC Tastes Better and we want everyone to know it! Our goal is to generate increased sales and reservations for participating restaurants.

A: There is no deadline to participate in Buy BC: EAT DRINK LOCAL as it is a year-round promotion. To get the best advantage from the May dining month, we recommend signing up at least six weeks prior (mid-March).

Click here to sign up. Rules and regulations for participation are here: http://www.eatdrinklocal.ca/register. Each restaurant will be asked to fill out the participation form, provide a $50 gift certificate and will be sent an invoice for participation fees.

A: A participant registration fee of $250 + GST (BCRFA Members are $175 + GST) goes straight to program costs – particularly the advertising and promotion of this event to help make it as successful as possible.

A: To be fair, all restaurateurs must fill out a sign-up form and pay an entry fee for each entity. That is, if you own two or more restaurants that have different names, you must fill out one form for each entity and pay the fee of $250 + GST for each restaurant or $175 + GST for each restaurant if you are a BCRFA member.

A: Yes. Each restaurant will be listed individually and included in all press material as a separate restaurant. The first restaurant is $250 + GST ($175 + GST for BCRFA members) – however additional locations with the same name will be eligible for the member rate at $175 + GST, regardless of whether you are or are not a member of the BCRFA. The two restaurant profiles, fresh sheets and promotions must be the same. If the profiles are different, then the $250 + GST applies to each restaurant for all non-BCRFA members.

A: If you are a multi-unit restaurant and a member of BCRFA, please contact us at 604.669.2239 for rates.

A: The www.eatdrinklocal.ca website is updated regularly. Your business will be listed within seven days of your profile being confirmed and your participation fee received.

A: As the May dining event approaches, all participants will receive the official Buy BC: EAT DRINK LOCAL logo to display on their websites and ads via email. You may also email eatlocal@bcrfa.com to get a copy of the logo.

A: Your application will be emailed to us – if you don’t receive an email confirmation and invoice from us within three days, please don’t hesitate to email us at eatlocal@bcrfa.com. The invoice will include a link to pay online. Cheque payments and $50 promotional gift certificates should be mailed to: BC Restaurant and Food Services Association, 600 – 890 West Pender Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 1J9.

A: Participating restaurants MUST offer a local feature fresh sheet for the month of May and feature local food and beverage on the menu year round. Local offerings can change seasonally – please send us your updated local items when your menu changes so that we can change your eatdrinklocal.ca profile. We encourage participating restaurants to indicate local food and beverage on the menu with a simple “BC” after the menu item. The font can match your preferred font.

A: Participating restaurants are encouraged to include a supplier statement on their existing menu that lists local producers, brands, or regionally sourced products, and include a minimum of five local producers, brands or regional origins. This statement could be on the menu or on signage inside the restaurant. A sample statement could be: “We proudly support the following local producers and suppliers: Gelderman Farms Pork, JD Farms Specialty Turkeys, Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm, Avalon Dairy Milk, Salt Spring Island Cheese and 100% BC eggs.”

A: We expect all restaurants to follow the guidelines they agreed to when signing up to participate. Each restaurant must be proud to feature local ingredients across their menu and, when appropriate, offer local beverage pairings. Local alcoholic beverage pairing options include craft beer, craft spirits, wines, ciders and meads. All local items should be given appropriate local naming convention on the menu – listing either regional provenance (e.g. Similkameen Valley Pork) or farm (e.g. Emma Lea Farms Strawberries).

A: Your restaurant does not have to accept reservations for Buy BC: EAT DRINK LOCAL if you prefer not to.