Elgin Madness bracket battle for restaurant bragging rights
Beginning this Friday, March 27, the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin are teaming up to present Elgin Madness, a social media-driven, March Madness-style, Elgin restaurant promotion held simultaneously during the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. It pits the signature dishes of Elgin-area restaurants against one another in an online voting competition where the public's vote determines the winner.
Participants include Advocate Sherman Hospital Café, Alexander's Café, Applebee's Elgin, Blue Box Café, Café Roma, Chooch's Pizzeria, D'Hang Out Bar and Grill, Elgin BBQ Pit, Elgin Public House, In the Neighborhood Deli, In the Neighborhood Fresh, Rookies All American Pub & Grill, Sammy's Mexican Grill and Solo Restaurant and Wine Bar.
First round voting tips off on Facebook at 2 p.m. Friday, March 27, with the unveiling of the 2015 Elgin Madness team photo album. Madness voters should "like" the Chamber Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/ElginAreaChamber) and the DNA Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/DowntownElgin) and then "like" the team photos of their favorite signature dishes. First round voting concludes Wednesday, April 1 at 5 p.m.
The top four vote getters after the opening round will advance to a head-to-head bracket challenge on April 2-4 with the champion to be crowned during final round voting on April 6-7.
The promotion was the brainchild of Jason Pawlowski, the current Elgin Area Chamber director of marketing and special events, during his tenure as promotions coordinator and managing director for the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin. Formerly known as "Downtown Madness: Downtown vs. Crosstown," the promotion was awarded a Lt. Governor's Award for Outstanding Illinois Main Street Promotion in 2011 and was a featured topic at the 2013 National Main Streets Conference "Marketing Main Street on a Dime" seminar in New Orleans, La.
For information about Elgin Madness, visit www.ElginChamber.com.