Key Points:
- The Economic Development Commission will debut its own Wilton restaurant week — actually, a two-week event — Sept. 21 through Oct. 4, with restaurants free to choose their own promotions while the EDC coordinates marketing.
- The EDC also plans to spotlight Wilton wellness businesses during National Wellness Month in August, and is considering a dedicated “Wilton Wellness Week” later this year.
- Work is nearing completion on an updated digital marketing brochure for Wilton, developed in collaboration with Wilton High School marketing students.
Why It Matters: The initiatives reflect the EDC’s growing emphasis on promoting Wilton’s restaurants, retailers and business community while strengthening the town’s identity as a destination for visitors and new investment.
Even as summer heats up, Wilton’s Economic Development Commission continues to advance several initiatives aimed at supporting local businesses, including a two-week Wilton restaurant promotion this fall, a similar campaign for Wilton’s wellness businesses, and an updated town marketing brochure.
Restaurant Week Plans Take Shape
At the EDC’s July 22 meeting, the vision for a Wilton restaurant week crystallized into some concrete plans.
EDC Chair Joe Favarolo announced the event would be scheduled Monday, Sept. 21 through Sunday, Oct. 4 — a two-week event with an objective to “position Wilton as a dining destination while increasing patronage from both Wilton residents and visitors from surrounding communities,” he said.
From the beginning, Favarolo has stressed the need to keep the event simple and allow restaurants the “flexibility” to decide how they would like to participate.
“Participating restaurants retain complete flexibility in determining their promotional offering while the EDC coordinates marketing, outreach and community engagement,” he said.
The event is unrelated to the Wilton Chamber of Commerce‘s “Taste of Wilton” event, which took place in April. However, Favarolo said the Chamber has agreed to help promote the EDC’s effort, though would not formally co‑brand or co-host the event.
Over the next few weeks, commissioners will continue to seek firm commitments from additional restaurants who wish to participate, before the EDC’s social media efforts begin in late August to promote the participating restaurants and their offerings. (Favorolo said interested restaurants may also reach out to the EDC for more information.)
Wellness Week
The EDC has also been exploring the idea of a “Wilton wellness week” modeled after the restaurant week concept. Commissioner Phil Fitzgerald took the lead on outreach to Wilton businesses in the wellness category — broadly defined as anything in the self-care, fitness or well-being market — to test the waters on their interest in participating.
“No one said ‘not interested,'” Fitzgerald told his fellow commissioners.
He also noted August is National Wellness Month. Commissioners quickly concluded an EDC wellness event in August would not be feasible, given the tight timing and the EDC’s immediate attention on the restaurant event. However, they agreed to use the EDC’s social media to boost Wilton’s wellness merchants throughout the month of August to the extent possible.
The EDC is considering a November timeframe for a full-fledged wellness week, and welcomes inquiries from any interested merchants.
“40 Things” Brochure, Version 2.0
At the same July 22 meeting, Commissioner Tom Shimko led a discussion about the final touches being put on the updates to the “40 Things We Love About Wilton” digital brochure that currently serves as a brand identity tool for marketing the town. The EDC’s effort to refresh the piece was a collaboration with a Wilton High School marketing class, which was tasked with creating the updated content. After students presented their work to the EDC in May, the EDC has continued to refine the final piece.
Commissioners enlisted one of the students, Vidit Prabhu, to assist with the final revisions. Prabhu attended the EDC meeting, explained the editing and formatting work he has already completed, and offered several additional suggestions.
Commissioners decided to change the brochure’s working title “Wilton: A Look Inside Our Town” to “Wilton: Where You Belong” for consistency with the Town’s marketing video of the same name. (“A Look Inside Our Town” will now be an explanatory sub-heading for the digital brochure.)
Among other content and formatting changes, the EDC is also adding “Innovation and Growth” to the various sections of the brochure (which include Shopping and Dining, The Outdoors, Community, The Arts and Town Events). The new section is expected to highlight Wilton’s economic strengths, including major employers like ASML, a highly educated workforce and the town’s accessibility by rail and road.
More EDC Updates
- New Logo: The Commission has adopted a new logo meant to readily identify the commission in its social media and other visible activities
- Commercial signage regulations: Commissioner Marty Avallone informed the EDC that the Planning and Zoning Commission is in the process of reviewing responses to a request for proposals (RFP) for a consultant to update the Town’s zoning regulations, which would include commercial signage regulations. The EDC has been advocating for changes to Wilton’s signage regulations based on feedback it has received from local business owners— particularly those who do not have prominent, street-facing locations.
- Wilton Center directional signage on state roads: Commissioners continued to discuss their goal to obtain new wayfinding and gateway signs for Wilton Center along state‑owned roads in Wilton. Commissioner Andy Warren noted that the departure of former DPW Director Frank Smeriglio has been a setback for the project, but commissioners agreed their next step would be to seek insights from the Board of Selectmen as to the likelihood of available funds for new signage in the next budget planning process.
- EDC Social Media: Commissioners Phil Fitzgerald and Lana Giancarli reported some encouraging news on the Instagram-based jobs board and business directory the EDC launched last fall. Commissioners are seeing a slight uptick in activity, including five new jobs listings in July. More broadly, Giancarli reported shares and reposts of EDC’s social media posts were trending up, along with gains in “interaction and engagement”.
- Career seminars for high-schoolers: Avallone announced a panel discussion, hosted by the Wilton Library, will take place in November featuring a number of trade professionals discussing their careers and alternatives to the four-year college path.
- New member: In recent months, the EDC has also welcomed a new member, Oliver Cueff — bringing the commission’s membership to nine members.
The EDC’s next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 26.
