Northampton Area Chamber of Commerce is holding its first Restaurant Week.

Restaurant Week will be held March 7-13, and the Chamber is excited about the inaugural event, according to Jessica O’Donnell, executive vice president of affiliated chambers for Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“I am excited about this initiative because it is something we do in all areas across the Lehigh Valley, organized by the specific geographic Chamber representing that area,” O’Donnell said. “It is something the Northampton Area Chamber of Commerce board has had on its radar to implement for our area and businesses. Back in May, during our planning session, we agreed that now was the right time - more than ever, during a pandemic - as this industry has been impacted with certain mandates. There is never a better time than now.

“This weeklong event is exciting because we truly get to enjoy the fruits of our labor by enjoying all these deals,” O’Donnell said.

Restaurants participating, as of press time, include Santa Fe Taco Company, 2022 Main St., Northampton; Konkrete Creamery, 2430 Cherryville Road, Northampton; The Gin Mill and Grille, 1750 Main St., Northampton; Tri-Boro Sportsmen Club, 2110 Canal St., Northampton; Palermo’s Pizza, 11 E. 24th St., Northampton; Assante Ristorante Italiano, 2050 Main St., Northampton; Northampton Diner and Family Restaurant, 1205 Main St., Northampton; Red Wolf Bar & Grill, 201 W. Main St., Bath; BeanBath Cafe, 2425 Plaza Court, Bath, and Mattie’s Strudel Haus, 126 W. Main St., Bath.

“The Northampton area has great restaurants and eateries that I am excited to let the Lehigh Valley know about,” O’Donnell said. “Our goal is to drive awareness and people to [these] businesses to try all the delicious meals and deals this specific week.

“More than ever, we need to support our local businesses - they need our support. What a great opportunity to support local, enjoy delicious meals and even try a new place or visit one that is already your favorite,” O’Donnell said.

With a wide variety of eateries, there is a good mix of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Menus, posted on the Chamber’s website, can be found at lehighvalleychamber.org/northamptonrw. Restaurants are also posting menus on their own social media pages.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Restaurant Week events might look a bit different. Similar to other area Restaurant Weeks, Northampton’s event is tailored to accommodate the restrictions placed on businesses. For example, “takeout, reservation only, percentage off the total bill and traditional prefixed menus” were options for the restaurants to choose, according to O’Donnell. These options also offer comfortability and with a budget in mind for patrons during a pandemic.

“With constant communication with all businesses throughout these last 11 months, we know the challenges they are all faced with. Specifically with restaurants, they are only allowed to have [a certain] amount of people, depending on the occupancy, or because of staffing, they might be only offering takeout and no dine-in options,” O’Donnell said. “So when talking with them about Restaurant Week, we wanted to make sure they decided what they wanted and what they could handle working with their COVID-19 safety plans that they have in place.”

O’Donnell said the restaurant owners who are participating relayed they are more than happy to join in because they welcome all the support they are able to receive.

For Restaurant Week, the presenting sponsor is State Farm, and insurance agent Tony Tibaldi is planning to do a social media gift card giveaway. Other sponsors are Koehler Brothers, gold; Precision Medical Inc., gold; Embassy Bank, silver; Deb Phillips Web Design, bronze; and ESSA Bank, bronze. The media sponsors are iHeart Radio and Lehigh Valley Press.

“More than ever, our restaurants need our support and a Restaurant Week that is customized to their current business model. By spotlighting on all the local restaurants our community has to offer, many of which had their doors closed for parts of 2020, we’re hoping to bring new customers and new business to local favorites,” O’Donnell said.