Photo by Bode Ramsay
By RHIANNON EVANS
Restaurant patrons can access exclusive deals at two dozen local eateries the week of July 21 during a Taste of College Park event.
Diners who download the Flave app, developed by a Baltimore-based marketing company, and upload photos of their meals at College Park venues will earn points they can redeem during future visits. Flave is partnering with College Park on the event.
Although customers can earn points at any College Park restaurant during Taste of College Park, they will earn five times as many when they dine at any of the 24 restaurants officially participating in the event, according to the app’s co-founder, Derek Battle.
The app is available on the Google Play and Apple App stores.
“It’s just going to be a fun, interactive way for people who aren’t too familiar with College Park to become a bit more familiar and kind of branch out and learn more about the area,” Anaiah Gibson, an intern in the city’s Economic Development Department, said.
Some restaurants will offer specials during the week.
The Greene Turtle’s College Park location, at 7356 Baltimore Ave., for example, will offer a $10.99 meal deal that includes a choice of a shareable appetizer with an entrée and beverage.
“We love being part of the College Park community, and Taste of College Park is a great way to connect with our neighbors and showcase what The Greene Turtle has to offer,” General Manager Alexander Duncan said. “It’s a fun opportunity to be involved in a local tradition that highlights the diverse food scene in the area.”
Praneeth Yealuri, manager of Paisano’s Pizza, located at 7201 Baltimore Ave., said he plans to have daily specials.
“It’s been a win-win situation,” Yealuri said of the week.
Other restaurants, including Looney’s Pub, at 8150 Baltimore Ave., will announce their deals closer to the date of the event, managers said.
Gibson said Taste of College Park will bring more foot traffic into city businesses at a time when most University of Maryland (UMD) students are away for the summer. “We also don’t want to forget about all the [long-term] residents and the citizens that are also still [here],” she said.
“[The city] gets what they want, and we get the extra business that we need,” Yealuri said.
When patrons upload their photos, the app time-stamps them to confirm they were at the restaurant during Taste of College Park.