Madison local businesses were featured as the places to be — and most importantly, the places to eat — in The New York Times Oct. 8 article ‘36 hours in Madison, Wisconsin.’
Local restaurants and businesses such as Weary Traveler Freehouse, Tornado Steakhouse and Fromagination were featured as ‘must-visit’ places to go as a tourist exploring Madison.
Though many of these businesses had established customer bases prior to the article, small businesses told The Daily Cardinal the feature made a positive impact on Madison restaurants who typically rely on word-of-mouth to build a large customer base.
Weary Traveler Freehouse, a bar and tavern on Madison’s east side that specializes in comfort food, noticed an increase in customer recognition after being mentioned in the article.
“What I’ve noticed is a lot of people are bringing it up. It’s definitely mentioned by the customer base…I’m super excited that [the article was published],” Weary Traveler owner Jeff Schmidt told The Daily Cardinal.
Increased customer engagement was also seen in Fromagination, an artisanal cheese store regarded as the ‘Capital of Cheese’.
Ken Monteleone, the owner of Fromagination, said he was happy and humbled by the recognition.
“A lot of our customers have commented on it…I’m sure that with our increased traffic, it’s been partly due to the ‘36 hours’ article,” Monteleone said.
Many of the owners and workers featured in the Times’ article felt connected to the piece, as many are frequent Times readers.
Tornado Steakhouse, a steakhouse complimented in the article for their ‘retro vibes,' was ‘thrilled to be included’ in the article.
“I was floored. Honestly, it’s a section that I’ve been reading for a very long time…it was just an honor to be included with the rest of the restaurants,” a host at Tornado Steakhouse said.
Fromagination, whose grand opening in 2007 was featured in the Times as well as the Food Network and various food magazines, expressed their gratitude for the feature in yet another Times article.
“We’ve been blessed over the years…we’re always humbled when people do take time to mention us in articles,” Monteleone said.
Some business owners believe the most important impact of the Times’ article is the way it regards Madison as “impressive” and “uniquely picturesque," in part due to the capital city’s flourishing restaurant scene.
“[The article] really showcases what makes Madison special; not only the lakes, not only all of the great outdoor things that we have going on in our city, but also the local businesses,” Monteleone said.
