It seems Valentine’s Day is coming to Saratoga Springs a few days early. On Thursday, February 11 only, dine-in and takeout customers at 37 participating Spa City restaurants will be able to get reimbursed 50 percent of their bill (up to $30) thanks to Split the Bill NY, an initiative underwritten by Saratoga Eagle and Driscoll Foods.
Split the Bill NY, a program to help out bars and restaurants that have been struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, started in Farmindale on Long Island last May. Since then, it has touched down in Long Island towns Valley Stream, Westbury, Hempstead and Baldwin as well as Pelham in Westchester County, making Saratoga its seventh stop.
Now that it’s our turn, how exactly does it work? First, order food from one of these participating restaurants: 15 Church, 30 Lake, 9 Miles East, Bailey’s Cafe, Boca Bistro, BWP Saratoga, Cantina, Chianti Il Ristorante, Dizzy Chicken Barbecue, Druthers Brewing Company, Flatbread Social, Forno Bistro, Harvey’s Restaurant and Bar, Henry Street Taproom, Jacob & Anthony’s, Karavalli Saratoga, Kelly’s Kitchen, Max London’s, Morrissey’s Lounge & Bistro, Panza’s Restaurant, PJ’s BAR-B-QSA, Scallions, Seneca, Sweet Mimi’s Cafe & Bakery, Taverna Novo, The Barrelhouse, The Brook Tavern, The Country Corner Cafe, The Local Pub and Teahouse, The Merc, The Parting Glass Pub, The Saratoga City Tavern, The Wine Bar, Thirsty Owl Saratoga, Walt Cafe & Whitman Brewing, Westside Sports Bar & Grill and Wheatfields Restaurant & Bar.
When your food arrives (either to your table at the restaurant or to your doorstep), simply take a photo of your meal and, after you’ve licked your plate clean, your receipt. Then fill out the reimbursement form on the Split the Bill NY website before midnight on Thursday to get 50 percent of your money back via PayPal or Venmo.
“A lot of these people are our friends,” Saratoga Eagle General Manger John Rogan told WNYT about his company’s decision to help out locally owned restaurants via Split the Bill NY. “It was just a no-brainer because it helps them, it helps their employees and it helps the community as well.” Together, Saratoga Eagle and Driscoll Foods have contributed tens of thousands of dollars to the initiative, per WNYT.
And yes, for those of you who’ve been wondering, alcoholic beverages are included in Thursday’s Split the Bill initiative. Cheers!
