Please read through the Vaughan Flavours Application Guidelines prior to submitting your application to ensure eligibility into the program.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2025

Vaughan is home to a vibrant restaurant scene, with over 750 dining and drinking establishments. The City of Vaughan is committed to supporting local businesses, of which restaurants play a pivotal role in this value chain. The Vaughan Flavours Restaurant Festival is a local program and culinary marketing campaign, spearheaded by Vaughan’s Economic Development Department, including the Tourism Vaughan Corporation (TVC), and the Vaughan Business and Entrepreneurship Centre (VBEC), aimed at increasing the promotion of Vaughan’s restaurant industry and dining scene. The goal of this program is to provide full-service restaurants with the opportunity to offer pre-selected menus at competitive pricing, thus drawing added visitation during slower periods. 

The goal of this program is to increase visitation to the City of Vaughan through increased promotion of the culinary industry, food tourism and local small businesses in Vaughan. The main objectives of this program include:

• Support Vaughan restaurants during slower times of business; 
• Promote economic activity for the restaurant industry through increased marketing and advertising of the program;
• Encourage residents and visitors to engage with restaurants on-premises and enjoy the in-restaurant dining experience in Vaughan. 

Summer pilot program: July 21 – August 4, 2025

Interested establishments must meet the following criteria to be considered for the program: 

• Operate within the City of Vaughan; 
• Be an existing table-service restaurant; 
• Be in good standing with York Region Food Premises Operators YorkSafe program and City of Vaughan municipal bylaws; 
• Be listed on VisitVaughan.ca/Dine before applying (visit VisitVaughan.ca/GetListed to get listed);
• Offer a full-service, in-restaurant dining experience (indoor and/or patio seating); 
• Can offer a prix fixe menu, inclusive of: an appetizer or starter, main and dessert, offering a minimum of three options per course; 
• Incorporate competitive pricing to encourage consumers to select their establishment during the festival period based on the Prix-Fixe criteria below; 
• Agree to meet the terms and conditions of participation, including but not limited to, program and prix fixe menu details, determination of the price point category, and submission of a $500 deposit, which will be fully refunded after August 4, 2025, provided successful participation in the program is confirmed. 
  • Successful participation is confirmed by providing evidence that the menu was on offer during the promotional period AND that the restaurant participated in marketing campaigns through, for example, web presence, social media, or events. 

NOTE: Restaurants with multiple locations in Vaughan, operating under the same name and menu (i.e., chain restaurants), are eligible to apply for consideration to participate with only one location. 

Prix fixe menu(s) must be priced at one of the program’s price point categories. Prices are per person for food only – beverages, tax and gratuity are not included: 

• $20 Lunch / $25 Dinner
• $27 Lunch / $35 Dinner 
• $34 Lunch / $45 Dinner 
• $41 Lunch / $55 Dinner 
• $48 Lunch / $65 Dinner 
• $55 Lunch / $75 Dinner 

How to determine your price point category:

• The price point category for the prix fixe menu should be determined by the average price of a three-course meal from a restaurant’s regular dinner menu at the time of application. If a restaurant does not serve dinner, the lunch menu can be used. 
• Based on the mathematical average, the restaurant will select a program price point category, using the dinner price, that is less than their average three-course meal from their regular dinner menu at the time of application. It must also meet the requirements for a competitive value offering. When calculating the average, do not use a cheque average which yields different results than a mathematical average. 

• Interested applicants are encouraged to sign up for updates and reminders on the dedicated VisitVaughan.ca/VaughanFlavours landing page.  
• Local establishments are also encouraged to follow Vaughan Economic Development on LinkedIn or by signing up for the Tourism Vaughan or Vaughan Business and Entrepreneurship business e-newsletters at corpcomm.vaughan.ca/Subscribe. 

• Once the application portal is open applicants should submit through the online submission form.  
• The application portal will be virtual. Interested establishments will be required to complete the online application in full by the deadline.  
• Applications will include: 
  • Current menu. 
  • Current images of restaurant (interior seating and any exterior seating, i.e. patio seating)
• Vaughan Economic Development staff will be available to assist with application submission should it be required. 

• Following application submission, all applications will be reviewed by an Advisory Board made up of representatives from the Tourism Vaughan Advisory Committee.  
• Restaurants that meet the above eligibility criteria will be considered by the advisory board, which has the right to reject any application. 
• During the pilot phase, Vaughan Economic Development will limit participation to the twenty-five establishments. The city reserves the right to include more, or fewer restaurants based on operational considerations. 
• Selected restaurants will be notified approximately one month before the program start date. 

• Restaurants will be notified and required to submit their deposit prior to any public marketing campaign. 
• Participants must finalize their program menus no later than two weeks prior to the program launch (July 21, 2025, for the summer cohort). 
• Restaurants will be asked to include branding (logo, etc.) on any material if convenient. 

• Participants will be asked to submit a final report indicating the approximate number of diners they welcomed during the program period. 
• Once the report is submitted, the City of Vaughan shall return their deposit. 

The Program Advisory Board will review applications for consideration to participate in the program, verify price point categories and recommend an applicant for inclusion in the program. 

The advisory board will also provide guidance and support to ensure the program’s ongoing success and sustainability. 

The advisory board will comprise representatives from the Tourism Vaughan Advisory Committee. Committee members will be chosen by Vaughan Economic Development staff to ensure that no conflict of interest occurs.