The down economy means less dining out for many people across the country, challenging more restaurants to find new ways to attract business. Restaurant.com announced today an effort to support the act of giving and to help restaurants attract diners—sharing $10 gift certificates for free to fill as many as three million tables at restaurants nationwide—as part of an initiative called, "Feed It Forward."

Restaurant.com and ExactTarget, a leading provider of on-demand one-to-one marketing solutions, have announced today a new integration of services that provides marketers with high-value, low-cost restaurant gift certificates. Through the integration, marketers can now add restaurant gift certificates as incentives to interactive campaigns to convert browsing shoppers into buying customers.
 

Restaurant.com has announced that it is teaming up with Upromise, the largest private source of college funding contributions, to help families save instantly for both dining and education. Now, Upromise's nine million members can access Restaurant.com gift certificates that offer more than 60-percent savings, while earning a 15 percent reward for college.
 

Marketing executives feeling the pinch of a tough economy and reduced budgets need to spend their dollars wisely. That’s why Restaurant.com is encouraging them and others to pay heed to the wholesale savings now available through its new business-to-business Web site. The company today has launched http://CorporateSales.Restaurant.com where $25 gift certificates are available for $10 or less, a cost that packs 60-percent added value that’s valid at thousands of restaurants nationwide.

Expanding a directory of more than 8,500 restaurants nationwide, Restaurant.com has announced the addition of Ted’s Montana Grill to its gift certificate program steering diners to go online and save for a taste of made-from-scratch comfort food served in an authentic turn-of-the-century Montana grill atmosphere.

Restaurants could be missing out on lost revenue potential to the tune of $100,000 or more per year. A quick calculation on Partners.Restaurant.com, the recently refreshed site for restaurants joining Restaurant.com, shows that amount based upon an average party size of three, $10 tab per person and open time of six days a week. Those figures multiplied by 12 total tables left empty per day equals: opportunity.

Gift certificates and gift cards can be the perfect way to make a “picky” person happy or fill the need for a last-minute gift. A little extra thought will make the experience smooth and rewarding. So says Cary Chessick, president and CEO of Restaurant.com.

Restaurants have been the backdrop for memorable movie moments. Consider the mermaid who made a “splash” when she ate a whole lobster, shell and all; Ferris the hooky-playing high schooler accused of acting "snooty” and “snotty” at Chez Luis; and Sally whose disruptive “moment” in the deli caused one diner to order whatever she was having. And who could forget young Ralphie and family who found Christmas fortune at the Chop Suey Palace?