What's a good prize for a food contest?

We're going to be holding an online food/restaurant-related contest soon. What's a good prize for people who like to eat out?

Some options:

- $25 cash
- Restaurant.com gift certificate
- Gift certificate to restaurant of choice
- Other kind of gift card (or something like giftcertificates.com)
- Engraved trophy or plaque
- Something else?

Thanks!
Justin

HI,

I enjoy looking at the ribbons and rosettes I won at the State and Lake County Fairs. The only time I won Best of Show, it was an engraved plaque now hanging over the kitchen sink. My only disappointment with my plaque was its' universal shape. The following year the same plaque was shaped like Illinois. All these awards were accompanied by a small token payment, which was appreciated as well.

If your competition is merit and achievement related, then a plaque for their wall, a certificate for their files (for resumes) and a small cash payment is a great way to go. I was in a real estate developer's office recently. He had industry merit awards backlit and presented like Academy Awards. He was obviously proud of his accomplishment.

If your competition is more like a people's choice award, then something token and some cash.

I guess you can tell I respect merit and achievement over popularity. I don't know the nature of your competition, an appropriate recognition is really based on how high an honor it is to receive it.

Regards,

Thanks for your input about the plaques - we'll look more into the different options. The contest is achievement related but through popular consent and recognition.

Regarding the cash, is cash preferred to something like a gift card/certificate? We would like it to be something food-related, but at the same time we don't want the winner to feel constrained by the location limitations of a gift card.

Thanks,
Justin

The problem with the restaurant.com mega-certificates is that the restrictions on the usage of each g/c are often onerous and more annoying than anything else. And the $25 cap can be irritating.

Is it going to be region-specific? Separate contests for Chicago, Seattle, New York, etc, or will it be one contest for the entire US?

If the former, a g/c for a restaurant in each city. If the latter, cash.

In chicago, a $50 or $100 LEYE gift certificate might be a good choice. In seattle, the same for the Tom Douglas restaurants, maybe. In New York, perhaps to Daniel Boulud's restaurants.

We're going to start with region-specific contests for Chicago and Seattle (and maybe New York) for the first month's contest and then see how it goes.

The LEYE and Tom Douglas gift cards look like really good options. Thanks for the suggestion!

Justin

I don't think it needs to be a fancy plaque, if that's not in your budget, but something as a sign of accomplishment is nice. I know that a number of restaurants happily post the printed card that LTH gives for being selected as a GNR -- so it doesn't have to be mahagony and brass.

Also, a gift certificate to a restaurant can be nice, but $25 doesn't get you much, unless you can get a gift certificate for a budget restaurant. So perhaps cash would be wiser. Or maybe, instead of a restaurant, give them a gift certificate for Fox & Obel.

Fox & Obel is a good alternative for lower amounts. $25 might be ok for lunch, but I agree that it might be a stretch for dinner at some of those restaurants. Thanks.

The best prizes are often items that cannot be purchased. What about a restaurant certificate along with a VIP table, the best seat in the house, or one of those coveted window seats (think Everest, North Pond).

Also, for several years now, Le Titi de Paris has donated a day in the kitchen with the chef (lunch included) for our scholarship auction. It has been a very popular item. You might be able to find other restaurants willing to do this -- especially if you publish something about the donated prize, so that they can consider the contribution as advertising.