Enjoy the Flavors of Salem – Spring Restaurant Week is Back!

The Salem Chamber of Commerce is set to celebrate the thriving culinary scene in Salem with Salem Spring Restaurant Week. Spring Restaurant Week gives customers a chance to reconnect with their favorite restaurant or try some place new. Restaurant Week features 20 of Salem’s best restaurants and draws guests from all over the North Shore. “I think the coolest thing about Restaurant Week is that it stimulates the city and creates exposure for all restaurants, perhaps even to clientele who wouldn’t normally give that particular restaurant a try,” said Daniel Giddings, General Manager, Opus. “We are really looking forward to being a part of it.”

Now in its 8th year, the ten day event will begin on Sunday, March 16th and run through Thursday, March 20th. The event will start again on Sunday, March 23rd and finish on Thursday, March 27th. Participating Salem restaurants will offer either a prix-fixe two-course dinner menu for $18 or a prix-fixe three-course dinner menu for $28. Some restaurants will offer both course options. Prices are per person and exclude beverages, tax, and gratuity.

This year’s participating restaurants include 62 Restaurant and Wine Bar, Adriatic Restaurant and Bar, Bella Verona, Capt.’s Waterfront Grill & Club, Finz Seafood Restaurant & Grill, Flying Saucer Pizza Company, the Grapevine Restaurant, Longboards Café & Bar, Nathaniel’s at the Hawthorne Hotel, Naumkeag Ordinary, O’Neill’s Pub & Restaurant, Opus, the Regatta Pub at the Salem Waterfront Hotel, Rockafellas, Salem Beer Works, Tavern in the Square, Thai Place, Turner’s Seafood at Lyceum Hall, Victoria Station, and Village Tavern. For more information and to view individual restaurant menus visit www.salem-chamber.org –> Restaurant Week. Reservations are strongly encouraged.

Now Accepting Celebrate Salem Awards Nominations!

It is time to nominate businesses for the 2013 Celebrate Salem Awards! Every year members of the Salem Chamber of Commerce nominate their peers for the Celebrate Salem Awards. Awards are given out in six categories during our Annual Dinner at the Peabody Essex Museum on Wednesday April 23rd.

Awards will be presented in the following categories: Businessman of the Year, Businesswoman of the Year, Community Service, Excellence in Retailing, Long-Term Achievement, and New Business of the Year.

The deadline for nominations is March 17th. Nomination forms can be mailed to the Salem Chamber of Commerce, 265 Essex Street, Salem, MA 01970, emailed to info@salem-chamber.org, or faxed to 978-745-3855. Click here for the 2013 Nomination Form.

Salem’s So Sweet: Chocolate & Wine Tasting Tickets on Sale Now

12th Annual Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival
The Chocolate & Wine Tasting Event is Feb. 7, tickets are for sale NOW!

Salem Main Streets, the Salem Chamber of Commerce, Destination Salem, and local retailers, restaurants and businesses invite you to attend the 12th annual Salem’s So Sweet, Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival. A decadent tradition of delectable chocolate, sparkling ice sculptures and Valentine’s Day shopping…don’t miss Salem’s sweetest event of the year!

The festival officially kicks off with a Chocolate and Wine Tasting, on Friday, February 7th from 6:30 – 8:30 pm, at Colonial Hall at Rockafellas, 227 Essex Street. This luscious tasting event features wine and chocolate samplings from premier Salem restaurants, stores and sweet shops. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased in advance starting January 16th. Tickets can be purchased over the phone by calling 978-744-0004, online at www.salemsosweet.eventbrite.com, or in person at the Salem Chamber of Commerce, 265 Essex Street, Suite 101. This event is the highlight of the season and sells out quickly!

This year there will be more than 14 large ice sculptures, chocolate samplings and great discounts around downtown Salem the weekend of February 8-9, with some continuing until February 16th in celebration of Valentine’s Day! The beautiful ice sculptures will grace downtown Salem starting February 8, with themes including a seahorse, a rubber ducky, a sailboat, a film projector, and more!

The Salem Trolley will be offering trolley rides around the festival route weather permitting on February 8 & 9 for a minimal fee. More information about trolley routes, times, and price will be available closer to the festival.

Many downtown businesses will offer discounts and special offerings during the festival. With over 60 places to eat downtown Salem is the perfect place to have a romantic dinner or casual lunch. In celebration of the chocolate festival, many of Salem’s finest restaurants will feature special chocolate offerings on their menus, including desserts, cocktails, and inventive sauces. Participating Salem retailers will offer in-store promotions, innovative displays and items geared toward chocolate and Valentine’s Day, ranging from a chocolate fondue fountain to discounts on diamond jewelry. Specific store and restaurant offerings will be available on brochures distributed throughout the downtown or online at www.salemmainstreets.org.

Once again, Golden Tickets will be available in downtown Salem for a chance to win the Salem’s So Sweet Gift Basket. Pick up your Golden Ticket at a participating location and have it validated at participating businesses (no purchase necessary) to enter to win a Salem’s So Sweet gift basket which features many fine items from area retailers.

Visit the Salem Main Streets website for more events and details about the festival as they become available: www.salemmainstreets.org – or follow our Facebook page for all the latest updates www.facebook.com/salemsosweet.

10th Annual Health and Wellness Expo now Accepting Applications

The Peabody, Beverly and Salem Chambers of Commerce are staging the 10th annual Health & Wellness Expo on Saturday March 8th from 10:00-3:00pm at the Northshore Mall. Take advantage of incredible Saturday foot traffic at one of New England’s largest, upscale shopping centers at an astonishing price. The start of a new year is the perfect time to target new customers who are making a commitment to improving their lifestyle and are looking for products and services to help them achieve their goals.

Exhibitors have the opportunity to showcase their business to thousands of potential customers. Exhibitor booths include a six foot skirted table with two chairs, three foot high pipe and drape setup, free wi-fi, publicity through three Chambers of Commerce and electricity may be available for an additional charge.

Booths are $275 for members of the Chamber of Commerce and $350 for non-members with completed application before January 31st and sponsorship is available as well. Interested in participating? Please click here for an application. For more information please contact Scott Gibney Jr. at the Salem Chamber of Commerce: scott@salem-chamber.org.

Under 10 Days Away – Join 100+ Businesses for our Annual Holiday Breakfast

The Salem Chamber of Commerce Annual Holiday Breakfast
at the Salem Waterfront Hotel
Thursday, December 12, 2013 from 7:30am-9:00am

The Board of Directors of the Salem Chamber of Commerce would like to invite you to join us at our Annual Holiday Breakfast. This year the Holiday Breakfast will take place at the Salem Waterfront Hotel and is open to members and non-members of the Salem Chamber. Enjoy a fabulous holiday breakfast buffet and networking with over 100 local business leaders. Special guests to be announced soon.

Buy Your Tickets Now: $25 for Members / $35 for Non-Members
RSVP by calling (978) 744-0004 or email info@salem-chamber.org

Want to Sponsor the Holiday Breakfast?
“Gold Star Sponsor”
Includes recognition at the podium, business logo in event program, business logo on the Salem Chamber of Commerce website, and four tickets to the event ($100 members /$140 non-members). Cost: $500.
“Silver Star Sponsor”
Includes recognition at the podium, sponsor recognition on the Salem Chamber of Commerce website, and two tickets to the event ($50 members / $70 non-members). Cost: $250.
For more information on sponsoring the Holiday Breakfast please contact Scott Gibney Jr. at scott@salem-chamber.org or 978-744-0004.

It’s a Great Week to Join the Salem Chamber!

This Thursday, November 14^th, the Salem Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Mini-Membership Drive.  There is no better time to join the Chamber than during the membership drive. The Salem Chamber works to grow and sustain the business community through a variety of events and initiatives throughout the year. The Chamber provides effective representation on topics such as taxation and advocates for growth through economic development projects. Networking events, industry specific trade-shows, and member only referrals are just a few of the ways to grow your business through the Salem Chamber of Commerce.

For the membership drive a number of special incentives have been assembled to create an opportunity too good to pass up. New member incentives include advertising opportunities in the Salem News, Salem Gazette Cinema Salem, Salem Gazette, and Salem Patch, as well as, a number of Chamber incentives that are geared toward networking and direct marketing to Salem Chamber member businesses. To showcase the flourishing downtown, a number of the Salem attractions and museums have made free tickets available for all businesses that join during the drive: Peabody Essex Museum, Salem Witch Museum, Salem Film Fest, Salem Athenaeum, the Phillips House and the House of the Seven Gables. The combined value of incentives is well over $2,000 with the base membership of the Salem Chamber starting at $295 per year ($160 for non-profit organizations).

To receive all the benefits of Chamber membership, as well as, the incentives being offered as part of the Membership Drive, businesses must join on or before November 14^th.  A full list of incentives and more information regarding membership can be found on the Salem Chamber of Commerce website: www.salem-chamber.org. For more information contact Scott Gibney Jr., Assistant Director at (978) 744-0004.

The mission of the Salem Chamber of Commerce is to make Salem a better place to live, work, and do business. The Salem Chamber offers many publications, programs and events through which members can reach fellow members, as well as, larger audiences. Chamber membership can lead to great contacts, and allows businesses to have a say in issues that matter to them. The Salem Chamber serves as the voice for member businesses, representing, advocating and working to enhance the business and civic environment.  With over 600 members, it is the largest business organization in Salem.

Salem Fall Restaurant Week – Welcome Back Residents!

The Salem Chamber of Commerce is set to welcome residents back to the Salem restaurant scene with Salem Fall Restaurant Week. Fall Restaurant Week gives customers a chance to dine-out at 22 of Salem’s best restaurants offering two and/or three course dinners at value pricing.

Now in its 7th year, the ten day event will run Sunday, November 3rd through Thursday, November 7th and Sunday, November 10th through Thursday, November 14th. Participating Salem restaurants will offer either a prix-fixe two-course dinner menu for $18 or a prix-fixe three-course dinner menu for $28. Some restaurants will offer both course options. Prices are per person and exclude beverages, tax, and gratuity. Please be sure to check www.salem-chamber.org for menus and offerings for each restaurant.

New to Salem, three restaurants are participating in Restaurant Week for the first time: Firenze Trattoria, Flying Saucer Pizza Company, and Opus. All three are looking forward to featuring their menus to new and returning customers. Chef Zamir Kociaj, owner of Firenze Trattoria, expressed his excitement for Restaurant Week stating, “I’m looking forward to introducing my restaurant and cuisine to the neighborhood and city during Restaurant Week. As a new business it is important to make a good first impression and we plan to do so during Restaurant Week.”

This year’s participating restaurants include 62 Restaurant & Wine Bar, Adriatic Restaurant & Bar, Bella Verona, the Black Lobster at Stromberg’s Cove, Brodie’s Seaport, Capt.’s Waterfront Grill & Club, Cilantro, Finz Seafood Restaurant & Grill, Firenze Trattoria, Flying Saucer Pizza Company, the Grapevine Restaurant, Longboards Café & Bar, Nathaniel’s at the Hawthorne Hotel, Naumkeag Ordinary, Opus, the Regatta Pub at the Salem Waterfront Hotel, Rockafellas, Salem Beer Works, Scratch Kitchen, Tavern in the Square, Thai Place, and Victoria Station & Vic’s Boathouse.

The mission of the Salem Chamber of Commerce is to make Salem a better place to live, work, and do business. The Salem Chamber serves as the voice for member businesses, representing, advocating and working to enhance the business and civic environment. With over 600 members, we are the largest business organization in Salem.

Salem Chamber Announces 6th year of “One Strike You’re Out” Initiative

Thursday, October 10, 2013- Salem restaurateurs, the Salem Chamber of Commerce, the City of Salem, and the Salem Police announced this year’s participants in the “One Strike You’re Out” initiative.

The initiative is a joint effort to ensure all Salem restaurant patrons a positive and pleasant experience. All participating restaurants agree to abide by a zero tolerance no trespass program.  As part of the program, the Salem Chamber of Commerce distributes posters with the “One Strike You’re Out” message for patrons, to be hung at all entrances of participating establishments. 

Salem Police Chief Paul Tucker, who has been involved in the initiative from the start, is a big supporter. “The initiative between the police and our licensed establishments in conjunction with the Salem Licensing Board is a great example of how working cooperatively can send out a strong message to come to Salem, enjoy our businesses but do so in a responsible manner,” said Tucker. “The police are proud to partner with the Salem business community to make our downtown a safe and friendly place to visit.” 

How it works: If someone has been served a “No Trespass Order” by the Salem Police at one of the participating restaurants, that person will not be allowed entry into any of the participating establishments for a six-month period. The Salem Police will provide all restaurants with “No Trespass” flyers including photographs of the person.  

Participating establishments are:  62 Restaurant & Wine Bar, Adriatic Restaurant & Bar, The Black Lobster at Stromberg’s Cove, Brodie’s Seaport, Capt’s Waterfront Grill & Pub, Cilantro, Finz Seafood & Grill, Firenze Trattoria, Flying Saucer Pizza Company, The Grapevine, Gulu-Gulu Café, Howling Wolf Taqueria, Lobster Shanty, Longboards Café & Bar, Murphy’s, The Naumkeag Ordinary, O’Neills Pub & Restaurant, The Old Spot, Opus, Regatta Pub at Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites, Rockafellas, Salem Beerworks, Tavern at the Hawthorne Hotel, Tavern in the Square, Victoria Station & Vic’s Boathouse, and the Village Tavern Grill & Oyster Bar.

Participating establishments, the Salem Chamber of Commerce and the Salem Police will continue communication and evaluation on an on-going basis. There will be list sharing and direct communication between restaurants, police and the Salem Licensing Board. All participating establishments are also committed to be pro-active in approaching possible difficulties within their establishment. 

For more information on the initiative, please contact the Salem Chamber of Commerce at 978-744-0004.

Let’s Go for a Drive! Toyota Drive Center at Salem’s Haunted Biz Baz this weekend!

Let’s Go for a Drive! Toyota Drive Center at Salem’s Haunted Biz Baz this weekend!

Go for a test drive at the Haunted Biz Baz! Explore Toyota’s legendary commitment to quality, durability, reliability and safety. Discover the fun-to-drive side of Toyota on a custom-designed street drive experience that puts the focus on the road ahead while it demonstrates the core features and capabilities of the Camry, Rav4, Prius c, and Prius. Every drive counts! For each test-drive taken, Toyota’s Drive for a Cause campaign will make a donation to support Salem Main Streets.

Have you been thinking about buying a Toyota but are on the fence? This is your chance to get behind the wheel of a Camry, Rav4, Prius c, and Prius on an extended test drive experience, in a no-pressure environment, and get some real seat-time with a product specialist who can answer all of your questions.

The Toyota Let’s Go For A Drive event will take place on Hawthorne Boulevard (just south of the Hawthorne Hotel) on both Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6.

For more information about the Haunted Biz Baz please contact the Salem Chamber of Commerce at info@salem-chamber.org or call 978-744-0004.

About Toyota

Toyota, the world’s top automaker and creator of the Prius, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands.  Over the past 50 years, we’ve built more than 25 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ nearly 40,000 people (more than 37,000 in the U.S.).  Our 1,800 North American dealerships sold more than 2.3 million cars and trucks in 2012 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today. 

Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment.  As part of this commitment, we share the company’s extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good.  (NYSE:TM)  For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Salem’s Haunted Happenings Parade: Books Coming Alive!

The Salem Chamber of Commerce is looking for volunteers and sponsors for the 18th Annual Haunted Happenings Grand Parade. “Books Coming Alive” is the theme for the Parade, which will take place on Thursday, October 3rd, 2013. 

It is a night-time tradition that brings out the entire city and people from all of the surrounding cities and towns to kick off the Halloween season. It is filled with color, pageantry, music and the enthusiasm of thousands of Salem’s students from kindergarten to college age and local business owners. If businesses or schools would like to participate in the parade please fill out the form (available on-line here) and return it to the Salem Chamber of Commerce.
The choice of costumes for this year’s parade is endless, and we’ve already heard from some of the characters that might be coming alive during the parade: Percy Jackson, Jack and Annie (Magic Treehouse), Nate the Great, Geronimo Stilton, Clementine, Ivan, Amelia Bedelia, Henry and Mudge, Clifford, Mr. Tucket, The Hobbit, Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Tin Man, Ramona Quimby, Miss Frizzle, Ren (The Good Thief), Tinkerbell, The Littles, Ivy and Bean, Frog and Toad, Flat Stanley, the Wimpy Kid, Elephant & Piggy, Judy Moody, and let’s not forget Alice and Dorothy…. And since we are in Salem, we might even see a good witch or two.

To help ensure the success of this event, the Salem Chamber is looking for volunteers and for financial support. We are looking for approximately 25 volunteers to help with line-up; all volunteers will march in the Parade! Businesses willing to make a contribution to continue the tradition of keeping the parade exciting, family-friendly, and safe can contact the Salem Chamber of Commerce via email info@salem-chamber.org or call the Salem Chamber of Commerce at T.978-744-0004.