To showcase the region’s restaurants as they emerge from the pandemic’s challenges, Trib Total Media has launched the website “Dine Local, ” powered by its MeSearch technology.
Owners of local establishments can, free of charge, claim a listing on the site. Beyond providing basic contact information, they can customize the listing to show current specials, photos, special menus and promotions.”
More than 70% of our region’s restaurants are locally owned, but 100% could use some help, ” said Matt Miller, chief revenue officer of Trib Total Media. “We created Dine Local to support these restaurants and the many hospitality workers who find themselves in a dire situation.”
The technology is the same as the Trib’s Neighborhood News Network sites for Southwestern Pennsylvania communities.
“Restaurants can use the platform to tell their own stories, with easy-to-use article creation tools, ” said Joe Lawrence, CEO of MeSearch and general counsel of Trib Total Media. “Beyond that, the articles and offers will be available as content to be matched to the personal interests of readers as well as the Neighborhood News Network sites and not simply limited to the restaurants’ own listing page.”
The website address is DineLocal.TribLIVE.com. Readers will find restaurants arranged by location and by cuisine style.
Nationwide, the restaurant industry has been among the hardest hit by pandemic restrictions. According to the National Restaurant Association, total sales in 2020 were $240 billion below the Association’s pre-pandemic forecast for the year.
At present in Pennsylvania, restaurants are permitted to operate at 50% capacity for indoor seating. When outdoor seating returns with warmer weather, and as vaccinations expand and daily case numbers decline, owners of restaurants, bars and cafes are expecting activity to grow.
The Dine Local site is designed to catalyze the eagerness of diners to return to their favorite local spots.
“The DineLocal program, operating along with the Trib’s Neighborhood News Network sites and TribLive.com, will be a great example of how the digital ecosystem is coming together to support communities, ” Lawrence said.