Devour Summer Chefs Series serves up economic impact in the Valley

Summer is a notoriously slow time for restaurants in the Phoenix area. To combat the slowest time of year for restaurants, Devour Summer Chefs Series is kicking off. From May to September, five of the Valley’s most celebrated chefs are coming together to kickstart an exclusive five-part dinner series.

Justin Beckett, Chef at Beckett’s Table, which was featured earlier this year on “Check, Please! Arizona,” and Kimber Lanning, Local First Arizona, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the series.

“The chefs got together and said how do we rally the troops? How do we have the fun in the summer? Entice people to come in and enjoy a great meal, and more so experience something that is a very unique experience that’s going to happen in our restaurants and the other chefs’ restaurants,” asked Beckett when him and the other chefs decided the concept for the Devour Summer Chefs Series show.

Each month, two of the five chefs will come together to create a four-course, pairing menu that tells a story of local ingredients and collaboration. Tickets will be sold as a limited, full-series package.

Local restaurants significantly contribute to the Phoenix economy. These tickets not only savor your tastebuds, but they will also stimulate the local economy. According to Local First Arizona, for every 100 dollars spent at a local business, $43 remains in the community compared to just $17 spent at a non-locally-owned business.

The eating and drinking industry in Arizona is projected to directly contribute $29.12 billion in output and $9.96 billion in labor income, with 297,045 employees, including indirect and induced impacts, with the total contribution to the Arizona economy at $55.86 billion, with 421,220 employees and $18.15 billion in labor income.

“I would say the culinary scene in Arizona is remarkable, and while we’re focused on Phoenix, there’s wonderful things happening across the state,” said Lanning.