ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford Region Restaurant week is nearing an end with the final weekend approaching.

Go Rockford celebrates the special week every year to highlight small businesses in the Forest City.

“Go Rockford is always really good about advertising. So they reach people that we aren’t always able to reach either through social media. So it’s always a goal to get new customers in the door and hopefully make them lifetime customers,” said Liz Malone the owner of Halo Bake Shop.

Malone is celebrating her third year being apart of the festivities.

“It always brings new people in the door, we see new faces every year and then they end up being new customers,” Malone said.

After the Pandemic Rockford was trying to give back to what some say is the backbone of the community.

“It’s the local businesses that are the legs of the community and they are what give the community such a great character and they’re really what holds us together I think,” Malone said.

This is also a chance for places to experiment and try new things with their menu.

“For restaurant week I really like to play around with different flavors and so I pick usually four different things that we don’t normally do and put them together just to kind of test them out. See what kind of feedback we get from that and then see going forward if that’s something we would put on the menu,” Malone said.

51 Locations are taking part. You check out the list on Go Rockford’s website. This is also where you can vote for the “Restaurant Week” awards.

“I think that’s one of the best things about Rockford is that there are so many good local places to eat and its not just about restaurants there’s so many great bakeries and coffee shops and tons of local places to get food and so many great things to try,” Malone said.

February 6th is the last day of Rockford Region Restaurant Week.