Wine Walk Wednesdays, previously sponsored by a promotions company, will now be run by the popular downtown venues that have banded together in an “alliance” to run the Wine Walk.
A promotions company created the Wine Walk, advertising it through social networking sites and a Web site. The venues were asked to give away the wine, waive cover charges and reduce food and wine prices to encourage interest in the event, said Karen Dean, general manager of Boudreaux & Thibodeaux and representative of the restaurant alliance.
The promotions company refused to split part of the profits with the downtown venues when asked to do so by the venues, she said.
“The people who own and manage the participating bars and restaurants have had a vested interest in this event all along,” Dean said.
Wine Walk Wednesdays is a popular weekly event held by downtown area restaurants and bars for the past three months. The Walk starts in the Shaw Center breezeway between Stroube’s and The Roux House.
Patrons pay a registration fee of $10 and  walk from venue to venue sampling wine. The registration fee will now be used by the alliance to promote the downtown area only.
“We’re excited about working together and building a better downtown Baton Rouge with the revenue earned from the event,” Dean said.
Beginning today the Wine Walk will be run solely by the restaurant alliance.
 
—-Contact Emily Slack at [email protected]