Restaurant.com Giveaway
July 28, 2010
I have told you guys before how much I love using Restaurant.com gift certificates as a way to stretch our entertainment budget. I have noticed that whenever I post about the promos I usually get lots of emails with questions about how they work. This past weekend I was chatting with a friend and she said she had never used them because she just didn’t know how they worked–WHAT?? I told her she was crazy to miss out on such a great deal! So I thought I would break it down to help with any confusion…so Amy this is for you 
I usually buy Resturant.com gift certificates when they are at 70% - 80% off. That means that I pay $2 – $3 for a gift certificate worth $25. Once I get the email that they are on sale I head over to Restaurant.com and type in my zip code to look for participating restaurants in my area. Each restaurant will have different requirements. Most of the ones I go to require a $35 – $50 purchase to use the gift certificate.
Ok…so let’s do the math for a certificate at 70% that requires a $35 purchase:
My family goes to the restaurant and we order $35 worth of food. Once the bill arrives I give the waitress the gift certificate and now my bill is only $10 + tax and tip! So I will pay approximately $20 for a $35 dinner. Now add the $3 that I paid for the gift certificate and I have paid $23 for the meal!! That means I saved 35% using the Restaurant.com gift certificate! I’d say that is a great deal!!
I have some great news…two of my readers will get a chance to check out Restaurant.com for FREE!! I have two $50 gift certificates for two winners!! That means each winner will get $50 to use at their favorite restaurant!!
To make it even more fun this giveaway has a twist! The winners will get the $50 certificate and the one who scores the best deal with that $50 certificate will get a $100 certificate as a grand prize…that will definitely stretch the old entertainment budget!!
To enter just leave a comment letting me know where you would spend the gift certificate!! While you are checking out Restaurant.com you can score a great deal as they are currently offering 80% off certificates when you use the code PLATE now through 7/31. NOTE: Sue emailed me a great reminder…if your favorite restaurant is out of stock you can still buy a certificate and redeem it at any time! So you can get the sale price and go back and use it once your favorite is back in stock!! Also you have a year to use the certificates so I always stock up and then let my family choose based on our taste that night!!
I will choose a random winner on 8/5 around 11pm. Good luck everyone!!
Disclosure: Restaurant.com provided gift certificates to me and my winners.
I would love to go anywhere! It is so rare that we get to eat out nowadays that anywhere would be special!
Would love to take my wife out for a date night. We’d go somewhere without a playground!
I am constantly traveling to different places for weddings… It would be fun to be able to try different restaurants while in these different cities and not have to pay a bundle to do it! I love that with the deals on Restaurant.com you can try out new places without spending a lot of money!
I would take my boyfriend to his new favorite resturant “Polonia”. We go there on our special date nights.
Too many great options! Paschals for fried chicken, Jack’s for pizza, Pcheen for the BEST challa french toast or Vickery’s for a night out with friends!
I would go to the Ranchero which is the only place in my town that takes the card because I live in such a hick a doo place but at least The Ranchero is tasty!! I could always go out of town too! yay! That would be nice.
hope to win one. Jacksoncrisman@yahoo.com
I would use it for the House Of Kabob in Winter Park.
I would go to Chin-Chins in Peachtree City. They are the best.
Yum! I would use it at the Melting Pot (if in stock), or at La Cocina, in Birmingham!
So many options! Doc Greens or Tavern on the Green for lunch… Or Sho Gun or Medieval Times for dinner! Or even Shane’s Rib Shack for an end of summer party with ribs being catered!
My family would love to go anywhere! It is so rare that we go to eat out nowadays
I would spend it at the Melting Pot!!! I love the Melting Pot and they are on Restaurant.com now. I actually bought a few of their gift certificates a month ago when they were 80% off. I’m giving them to my friends because it’s just so good! Maybe if I win I will go somewhere new in Birmingham… hm….
I would love to go anywhere, but P.F. Chang’s is the first one to pop into my mind!
I would love to try out Fonduely Yours in Mt. Pleasant, SC. I have wanted to try them for years but they are pricey but they have a great reputation & have been around for 20+ years.
Our faveorite Mexican rest. (Coronas in Spartanburg) is where I usually use my coupons…but I also splurge on a fance rest. if we have concert tickets in Greenville so we can make a night out of it.
GIADORNOS!
mj pizza!
La Esperanza (mexican) and/or Food is Love. Both are awesome!
Any place with my sweet hubby!
The Bistro Restraunt and Bar in Valdosta Georgia. Unfortunately we live in the boonies and this is the closest place to my hometown! Thanks!
La Dolce Vita in Athens, GA I would have the chance to take my niece to dinner when she is back at UGA!
I will go to De Cache in West New York, NJ
Would love to have a date night with the hubby!
I would love to go to a jazz restaurant they have in my area that’s also on restaurant.com!
wow some of you have some good restaurants to choose from. I will choose charles anthony’s The pub. I would love this gift cert. Thanks alot for the giveaway.
I would go to Pacific Spice in my area and get sushi!
I am not sure which restaurant I would choose but it would have to be KID friendly because I would love to have a date night with one of my four children. My husband and I love our date nights and we are trying to show our kids what true dates look like! Manners, nice conversation, how to order food,etc. I would love to treat one of my kids on a special date with mommy!
I would spend it on our second honneymoon coming up. We are going to Hilton Head, SC. The Alligator Grille sounds interesting.
We would love to try Tarantino’s Italian restaurant. Sounds Yummy!
Seafood delite in bham sounds wonderful.
I’d like to try Sekisui restaurant (Birmingham). I have never eaten there before.
Thanks for the contest!
I’d like to check out Dolce in Huntsville, AL:)
I would love to try Colorado Fondue!
I have no idea WHERE I’d like to spend the coupon at, but I know who I would like to spend it with!! I would love to use the coupon for a much needed date night with my husband!! We live in Alabama, and we would drive to Atlanta and let my son “play” with Grandma and then we’d have a night out! ohhhh, a date night…..what’s that again?
I would LOVE to use this to try out one of the Serenbe restaurants!
I will be turning 40 on August 15th and my husband will turn 50 on October 1st, I was hoping to have a very special celebration with friends and get away for the night. Unfortunately, he was laid off on July 14th and has since said “that we will have to cancel our birthdays this year”. Well, with 6 kids at home to tend to (from 2 to 17years old) , I have to agree. This would allow us a night out to celebrate our very special birthdays this year. Thanks….
My boyfriend loves Giordano’s. Its like heaven to him and i would love to take him there!
I would use Jerry’s Pizza! My family has been ordering their pizzas (THE best!) since I was a little girl and I’m 34 now! So, I was so excited to find them as a new selection on Restaurant.com!
I would try the new Saza in Montgomery. I am going now to check out who participates in my area! Thanks for the math lesson
We will either go to Downtown Grill or Tic Tic Room in Macon, Georgia.
I would love Tsunami in Columbia, SC!!! I’m a college student and if I get some girlfriends to go on a study break and split the tab, we will have ourselves a deal! Also–if you go before 630, you can the happy hour special-18 pieces of sushi for $8.95!
My husband and I love crablegs! So we would go to Saltwater Grill in Winter Haven Florida for all you can eat crablegs! Yum!
This is great! Thanks for the information. I have heard of this website before and I have now added it to my favorites.
I am interested in Longhorn or Outback.
Thank you!!
I have a four month old and haven’t had a date with my hubbie in about five months! This would be such a treat.
My husband and I will have a date night – we will try somewhere new!
Girl’s night out for Sushi (Suro – 34685)
My husband and I would have a date night and maybe try someplace new!
Hard choice, but I think I would like to go to Chaffin’s Barn– dinner and a play!!
I would use it at Circa 1886. Over Independence day weekend my father and his wife came down. My husband didn’t get to join us because he very selflessly stayed home with a sick baby. I would like to get a babysitter and let him taste some of the good life
I would definately go to Mezza Luna Italian Restaurant & Bar in Melbourne, FL
It has adorable outdoor seating with light-covered trees, authentic italian food, amazing food and service reviews and… I haven’t been there yet!
A $50 gift card would buy me $125 worth of italian heaven and I’d probably have enough to eat for a week. And that week, well, it would be the best week EVER.