Brothers Encourage Locals To Dine Differently in Arizona, Assume Ownership of Localdines.com

Feb. 24, 2012 - PRLog -- Michael and Jim Kracht share a love of food, technology, Phoenix, and now, business partnership. The two have pooled their mutual passions and are the new owners of the Valley’s hottest dining website, Localdines.com.

Localdines.com started in 2009 with Michael Kracht as the lead sales person and director of business development.  He steadily built the portfolio to 75 of the best restaurants in town by 2011.  In early 2012 he took over ownership of the website with his brother Jim and father Jeffrey Kracht.

“It’s a family affair,” said Michael Kracht, “ We each bring different skills to the company that complement each other,” he continued.

Localdines.com is the most comprehensive online dining guide in the Phoenix metropolitan area offering a custom page and video tour of each restaurant on the website. It also includes menus, events and user reviews. A limited number of monthly half price incentives are offered to users to encourage them to dine locally and dine differently.

Localdines.com is changing the face and the rules of a typical daily deal website.

“We’re not Groupon, we’re not Living Social. We are a resource of the 70 best restaurants in town and we provide our users free access to places they want to eat. We only sell 50 certificates each month to each restaurant –we have a supply and demand model that is worlds apart from true ‘deal’ sites,” said Michael Kracht.

The Kracht family will add additional member features and benefits for its 30,000 plus users and growing in 2012.

A sample of their new offerings includes:

* Sponsoring, hosting and promoting unique local foodie events
* New, high quality, high-end restaurant partners each month
* Attractive social media promotions and giveaways via Facebook and Twitter.
* Steaknifetheblog.com—adventures of a secret valley Foodie hungry for the gossip on the local food scene.

"Localdines.com is about groups of food-loving people getting together.  Food and dining is the centerpiece of all cities – it’s such an important factor for family and friends.  To be part of something like localdines.com that brings people together is thrilling,” said Jim Kracht, Technical Director and co-owner.

Largely, Localdines.com has used a grassroots, word of mouth growth strategy to attract the hungry foodies to the site and has made fine dining accessible to anyone in the Valley of the Sun.

"We want to urge our customers to always dine local and dine differently.  Our site does this.  It's current with the hot spots - it's interactive with video content, and most importantly, helps a consumer make an informed dining decision,” said Michael Kracht.

About LocalDines.com: LocalDines.com was established in 2009 and currently serves as the most advanced and comprehensive online dining guide in Arizona. By offering dining gift certificates at 50% of their face value, LocalDines.com offers their customers incentives to try new restaurants and enjoy Valley favorites, like 5th & Wine, Eddie’s House, deseo at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa, Nobuo at Teeter House, The Vig, Jalapeno Inferno, and Arcadia Tavern. For more information, visit www.localdines.com or call 480-219-5655.

For media inquires, please contact Susie Timm at (480) 200-2766 or susietimm@cox.net.