As the UCLA community gears up for this weekend’s grudge match with its crosstown rival the University of Southern California, three Westwood restaurants are opening their doors to foraging Bruins, inviting them to dine out at reduced prices tonight.
Bruin Night Out, which will take place from 5 p.m. to midnight, is a relatively new addition to the many traditions of Blue and Gold Week, an effort by the Student Alumni Association to involve the greater UCLA community in its week of spirit-related activities.
This year Acapulco, BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, and Chili’s will be offering discounts of 25, 20 and 15 percent, respectively, on all food and non-alcoholic beverages.
“We’re always glad to see the parents and the families,” said Lucien Cullen, a manager at Chili’s. “The fact that we’re right by UCLA ““ it’s an important part of the neighborhood, clearly.”
Each of the three restaurants selected to participate in Blue and Gold Week have also been involved in past years, and the restaurants will accept payments by BruinCard.
For the businesses participating, the night is “basically the chance to be a restaurant that really opens up the door to Bruins,” said Manaf Mansure, executive director of Blue and Gold Week.
Mansure said the Student Alumni Association has tried to reward the three participating restaurants by centralizing business at just a few locations; those restaurants are also displaying posters advertising other Blue and Gold Week celebrations, particularly the rally, parade and bonfire scheduled for Thursday.
“It’s also a chance to say thank you for being part of the UCLA community,” Mansure said, referring to the increased business the restaurants will receive during the seven hours of discounted dining. “They are as much a part of the tradition as Bruin Night Out itself.”
Mansure estimated that, in past years, about 1,500 UCLA students and affiliates have taken advantage of the discounts offered by Bruin Night Out.
“We’re bringing more people in (to work on) Wednesday,” said Mario Sanchez, general manager at Acapulco in Westwood. “Two years ago, I wasn’t expecting so many (customers).”
Sanchez said that in its first year of participating, Acapulco received more business than it expected, but the restaurant is fully prepared for tonight, ready to handle guests who would be eager to take advantage of the most generous discount being offered.
“We have plenty of room,” said Sanchez. “We have fun with the people from UCLA when they come to the restaurant.”
A few blocks away at BJ’s, General Manager Matt Johns is equally prepared for a multitude of hungry Bruins and will have extra staff on hand to keep the restaurant running smoothly. Like the other two restaurants participating, BJ’s determined the amount of the discount by negotiating with the parent corporation. Johns said that a good portion of business at the Westwood location comes from those affiliated with the university, as evidenced by the 30 to 40 percent drop in the number of dinner guests during university holidays.
The 20 percent discount will apply to all orders in the restaurant, as well as for take-out and delivery orders, as long as at least one person ordering can show identification from UCLA.
“We’re so close to the university. A lot of our guests are students or people who are affiliated with the university,” said Johns. “It just seemed like the right fit.”