Winterlicious runs during the first two weeks of February, typically one of the poorest times of the year in terms of restaurant attendance.
During the events major restaurants from across the city offer a limited menu of prix fixe dinners at a discount from typical prices.
Based on similar events in other cities it was designed to boost the restaurant trade at a slow time of the year.
[5] Even with these criticisms, the licious promotions remain a very popular program and provide an opportunity for restaurants to make money during a typically otherwise slow time of the year.
In Winterlicious 2009, 180,000 meals were served over 2 weeks, resulting in $12 million in economic impact for the City of Toronto.