Dine Around Freddy: An experience for all

Dine Around Freddy is a culinary event that happens every year in Fredericton. This year, the event is happening from Feb. 18 to March 7.

The event features over 25 participating restaurants where customers can choose where they’d like to attend. Each participating restaurant creates a new, specially-crafted menu by the chefs.

Customers can experience any menu for $35.

From all the revenue the restaurants receive, a percentage is donated to charities in the city.

Claudine’s Eatery, located in Downtown Fredericton, is only one of many participating restaurants.

Claudine’s first opened on Main Street as a family diner. It has now been three years since they moved into their downtown location. This will also mark Claudine’s third year participating in the event.

Since the pandemic started, Claudine’s Eatery has lost half their seating in the restaurant, but server Majella Comeau said their customers are still supporting the restaurant and continue to come in and dine.

“We’ve been a big success in the city. People love us and we love them,” said Comeau.

Comeau says business levels have been lower since the start of the pandemic but believes Dine Around Freddy will help bring customers back into the restaurant.

“It’s [Claudine’s Eatery] advertised through the Dine Around Freddy, therefore a lot of people that don’t know about us will find out about us and when they see the menu, they’ll want to come in and try it out,” said Comeau.

Claudine’s Eatery Dine Around Freddy menu offers three unique appetizers, entrees and desserts.

Everything on the menu is available for take-out, except their crème brûlée, said Majella.

Monks & Jonesie is another participating restaurant.

The restaurant started as a gastro food truck in 2016 and then decided to open a brick-and-mortar location two years ago.

Ryan Thornton, Monks & Jonesie’s general manager says 2020 was the first year the restaurant participated in Dine Around Freddy. Since the brick-and-mortar location was new, Thornton says the event brought a lot of eyes to the new business. Many customers who came in last year for the first time have since become regulars.

Thornton says the restaurant is happy to be a part of the event.

“I think it’s great exposure for a lot of local businesses and all the great creativity,” said Thornton.

Monks & Jonesie’s Dine Around Freddy Menu was created in collaboration with their kitchen manager, the restaurant owners and Thornton.

“It’s kind of eclectic. I can’t really put on a stamp on it [the menu]. It goes everything from seafood to pasta to some crazy desserts,” said Thornton.

Thornton says his favourite part about Dine Around Freddy is just having people in the restaurant after the year everyone went through.

“We definitely have a very loyal customer base. They’ve stuck through us more than we could hope for so we’re really appreciative of that,” said Thornton.