FAQ: Your Questions — Answered!
Reno Food & Drink Week is designed to be easy, fun, and delicious to explore — but if you’re the type who likes to know exactly how everything works, you’re in the right place.
Below you’ll find answers to the most common questions about participating, earning points and punches, submitting evaluations, and qualifying for giveaways.
How to Participate
Participating is easy.
- Go somewhere delicious on THE LIST.
- Order the featured offering — or anything on the menu.
- Make sure to save a copy of your receipt (digitally or printed).
- Hop into the app and submit a quick evaluation.
- Want extra points? Share your experience on social media or donate to a featured charity.
- REPEAT!
Your points and punches will start stacking up and at the end of the event you can redeem them for entries into The Signature Giveaway. Even more importantly, your evaluations help determine the Top 8 locations that move on to the next level of judging — so every submission truly matters.
The 2026 event runs from Mar. 18 through Mar. 31.
Anyone may take part in Reno Food & Drink Week by visiting participating locations and enjoying featured items or menus. However, participants must be 21 years of age or older to create an account, earn points or punches, submit evaluations, and qualify for giveaways.
Absolutely — we’d love for you to participate. Visitors are welcome to explore participating locations, submit evaluations, and earn points while they’re in town. Please keep in mind that most giveaway prizes and rewards are tied to businesses and experiences in the Reno–Tahoe area.
Many of our activities, quests, challenges, and punch card opportunities take place locally throughout the year. We encourage out-of-town guests to jump in while they’re here — and maybe even plan a future visit around a quest, challenge, Reno Food & Drink Week, or another activity available through the app.
No. While the featured offering is highlighted for the event, you may order the featured item or anything from the location’s regular menu.
You may order anything on the menu and still submit an evaluation for that location.
If you have allergies or dietary restrictions, we encourage you to review menus and speak directly with the establishment before ordering. Most locations are happy to help guests find something that works for them whenever possible. That said, Reno Food & Drink Week does not control ingredients or preparation methods, so the ability to accommodate requests ultimately rests with each individual establishment.
Hours can vary by location, and sometimes change due to private events, staffing, or seasonal schedules. We recommend checking the establishment’s website or social media for their most current hours before heading out.
Most locations do not require reservations, but some do accept them. If a location accepts reservations, we highly recommend making one, as participating establishments are expected to be especially busy during the event dates. If reservations are recommended for a specific location, it will be noted on The List.
No. You may visit participating locations in any order you like.
Yes. If you choose to visit a location during the event more than once, you may submit an evaluation them for each visit.
No, there is no fee to participate. Guests simply pay for the food or drinks they choose to order at participating locations.
The app is required to participate in the points and rewards program; however, it is not mandatory to participate in the event and submit evaluations.
We highly encourage downloading the official Reno Food & Drink Week app and creating an account. This is the only way to receive, track, and redeem points.
If someone wants to simply submit evaluations without participating in the points and rewards program, they may do so here.
After visiting a participating location, open the Reno Food & Drink Week app, select SUBMIT AN EVALUATION, complete the evaluation form, upload the photo of your receipt in the form or if you are unable to upload it into the form, you may email it to renofoodanddrinkweek@gmail.com or text it to (775) 453-6070.
If you prefer not to use the app, you may submit an evaluation by visiting this link.
A copy of your receipt is required for your evaluation to be valid.
No, you may submit an evaluation for a participating establishment that you visited at any time during the event window (Mar. 18 – Mar. 31).
We highly encourage you to submit your evaluation within 24 hours of your visit; however, all evaluations must be submitted by 11:59 pm on Mar. 31.
We want to hear about it. Honest evaluations — good or not-so-good — are an important part of Reno Food & Drink Week and help determine which locations move forward in the judging process. All evaluations remain confidential. Only aggregated results are shared when the Top 8 are announced and when The Medallion and The Silver Star winners are revealed.
Receipts help verify that your visit took place during the official event window and ensure the evaluation process remains fair and accurate. They are also used to award points based on the amount spent, plus bonus points when a tip of 20% or more is given on the pre-tax subtotal. Evaluations submitted without a matching receipt cannot be considered valid.
Printed receipts, emailed receipts, or digital receipts (such as screenshots of payment confirmations) are accepted.
Contact us as soon as possible so we can review and correct the submission if needed.
No problem. If you are unable to upload your receipt in the app, you may send it to us by text or email.
Text a photo or screenshot of your receipt to: (775) 453-6070
Or email it to: renofoodanddrinkweek@gmail.com
Yes. If multiple guests share a receipt, each person may upload the same receipt when submitting their evaluation. However, a few rules apply to keep the process fair.
Each participant must complete their own evaluation and declare the portion of the total receipt they are claiming. The combined amounts declared by all participants must equal the full receipt total, and each person’s submission must reflect the same allocation amounts. The receipt total cannot be exceeded or duplicated.
Example: If a $200 receipt is shared by three guests:
Guest A declares $100 and receives 100 points
Guest B declares $60 and receives 60 points
Guest C declares $40 and receives 40 points
If the receipt shows a tip of 20% or more, each guest will also receive the tipping bonus.
All guests using the receipt must submit an evaluation and upload the receipt. If the declared allocations do not match across submissions, the receipt will not qualify for points.
Receipts may not be reused by different allocation groups. Duplicate, inconsistent, manipulated, or conflicting submissions may result in the receipt being disqualified and the account reviewed.
No problem. If you tipped in cash, simply write “cash tip” and the amount on the receipt before uploading it. We’ll honor it. Reno Food & Drink Week runs on a bit of trust and good faith, and we expect participants to keep things fair and honest.
That’s perfectly fine. Simply ask the establishment for a receipt and upload it with your evaluation. To submit a valid evaluation and receive points, a receipt must be included.
Yes. If you participated in the experience, you may still submit an evaluation even if someone else paid the bill. However, only the participant claiming the receipt (or a portion of it) will receive points for dollars spent and any tip-based bonus.
You must still upload the receipt when submitting your evaluation, even if you are not claiming any portion of it for points. The evaluation form includes a question asking what portion of the receipt you are claiming. If someone else paid and will be claiming the receipt, simply select that option. You may still complete the evaluation, but no spend-based points will be awarded.
Points can be earned in several ways during Reno Food & Drink Week and throughout the year. The most common way is by visiting participating locations and submitting evaluations. You can also earn points by sharing your experience on social media, donating to featured charities, and completing special activities and challenges announced in the app, email newsletters, and on social media.
Guests can earn bonus points by sharing their Reno Food & Drink Week experience on social media. Details about how to qualify are provided on The Signature Giveaway page under WAYS TO EARN POINTS.
Yes. Tagging Reno Food & Drink Week helps us find your post and award your points.
Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok posts, reels, and stories may qualify when they meet the requirements outlined on The Signature Giveaway page under POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
Yes, as long as each qualifying post meets the criteria outlined on The Signature Giveaway page under POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
If your account is private, please send us a screenshot of your post, reel, story, or TikTok so we can verify it and award your points.
Screenshots can be sent to us via text at (775) 453-6070 or email at renofoodanddrinkweek@gmail.com
If you posted but did not receive acknowledgment from Reno Food & Drink Week within 48 hours, your post may not have appeared in our notifications due to social platform algorithms.
Please send us a screenshot of the post so we can verify it and award your points.
Screenshots can be sent to us via text at (775) 453-6070 or email at renofoodanddrinkweek@gmail.com
Your current points total is always visible in the Reno Food & Drink Week app. Tap the MY PUNCH CARDS & POINTS button and select the Loyalty Points tab at the top to view your balance.
Points do not expire.
Points earned may be redeemed for Signature Giveaway entries or, when offered, other available rewards or promotional opportunities. The redemption timeline for the Signature Giveaway is as follows:
Redemption cutoff: April 4 at 11:59 PM PT
Drawing date: The Week of April 9
Participants may choose to transfer all or a portion of their points to the Year-Round Points program. If nothing is done by a participant, their points will automatically roll over to Year-Round Points.
Your points can be redeemed for giveaway entries at any time during Reno Food & Drink Week. To do so, simply contact us and request a redemption code. That code can then be used in the app to convert your points into entries.
That said, we encourage a little patience. At the end of the event, everyone will receive instructions on how to redeem their points. Waiting can be worthwhile because while Signature Giveaway entries are always 10 points for one entry, additional rewards and drawings may be added throughout the event at different point values.
In other words, you can redeem early — or hold onto those points and see what opportunities appear along the way.
After you redeem your points, you will receive a confirmation email with your official raffle entry details. This email includes the number of points redeemed, total entries issued, and your specific entry number range.
Each time you redeem points, you will receive a new confirmation email with an additional entry number range. All entries are recorded and added to the full giveaway pool.
Prior to the drawing, you will also receive a notification confirming the total number of entries issued across all participants. Winning numbers are then drawn at random from the full pool.
No, there is no limit to how many points you can earn.
Points typically appear in your account within 48 hours of completing a point-earning activity. When they’re added, you’ll receive a notification in the app. To be notified the minute they arrive, make sure your notifications are turned on.
Yes. Points may be transferred to another participant as long as they are an active user in the Reno Food & Drink Week app. To request a transfer, please email us and include the number of points you would like to transfer, along with the full name and email address associated with the recipient’s account.
Please do not text these requests. We must maintain proper documentation for point transfers, so an email request is required.
Transfers must be requested by the account holder and will be reviewed before being processed. Once a transfer is completed, it cannot be reversed.
Please contact us. Be sure to include details on why you believe your points are incorrect.
Punch cards are special challenges that reward guests for visiting participating locations or completing certain activities during Reno Food & Drink Week and throughout the year. Each card has its own goal and reward. As you complete the required actions, you’ll earn punches that move you closer to the reward tied to that specific card.
All available punch cards can be viewed in the app under Punch Cards.
When you complete an activity that earns a punch on one of these cards, you will receive a notification in the app with a code. The notification will indicate which punch card the code applies to and how many punches it is worth. You can then enter the code in the app to add the punch to that specific card.
Yes. In fact, we encourage it. Some activities may earn punches on more than one punch card at the same time. When this happens, it will be clearly noted in the notification you receive along with the code and instructions for which card(s) the punch applies to.
Punches track your progress on punch cards. Each punch marks a completed visit or milestone, helping you move closer to the reward associated with that card.
When you earn a punch for a punch card you’re participating in, you’ll receive a notification in the app with a code. The notification will also tell you which punch card the code applies to and how many punches it is worth.
Example notification: “WELL DONE! You’ve earned 1 punch for the [Punch Card Name]. Use code XXXX to add your punch.”
To add the punch to your card, tap MY PUNCH CARDS & POINTS, then tap PUNCH. Enter the code from the notification in the Employee Code field and select PUNCH. Once submitted, the punch will appear on your card in the app.
Please note that punches must be entered by you within the app and cannot be added manually from our side. Reno Food & Drink Week operates on the honor system and we trust participants to use punch codes only when they’ve legitimately earned them.
Punch codes are issued to individual participants and may not be shared.
If you run into any issues, please contact us.
No. Punch cards are optional and simply provide additional point-earning opportunities and/or extra rewards. You can still earn giveaway entries by collecting and redeeming points through all the other ways points are earned during the event and throughout the year.
After your evaluation and receipt have been received, you will receive a punch code through a notification in the app.
Example notification: “WELL DONE! You’ve earned 1 punch for the [Punch Card Name]. Use code XXXX to add your punch.”
Punch codes are issued after evaluations and receipts are reviewed. Please allow time for processing.
Please check the NOTIFICATIONS button within the app. If it is not there, please contact us so we can send you the code again.
We encourage participants to enter punch codes as soon as they receive the notification. If you happen to have a few saved up, you may enter them one after another. Just be sure to pay attention to the notification, which will tell you which punch card the code should be applied to.
No. Punch codes should never be shared.
Reno Food & Drink Week operates on the honor system and we trust participants to use codes only when they have legitimately earned them.
If you feel that you made a mistake when entering a code or if something looks wrong, please contact us.
Points or punches may be adjusted if they were added incorrectly.
The Signature Giveaway is the primary drawing for Reno Food & Drink Week participants. Guests earn points throughout the dates of the event and a sent number of points may be redeemed for an entry into the drawing.
Prizes vary each year and may include gift cards, experiences, memberships, and other items contributed by participating partners and sponsors.
The Grand Giveaway is a separate milestone-based drawing for participants who complete all 26 locations in the 26 in 2026 Punch Card.
Giveaway drawings will take place on or about April 9, 2026. Winners will be notified within 24-48 hours by a notification in the app and by email.
Winners will be notified within 24–48 hours of the drawing through both an in-app notification and an email sent to the address associated with their account.
No. All drawings are conducted virtually, so you do not need to be present.
Each participant may win up to three prizes per giveaway, unless otherwise specified.
Yes. Reno Food & Drink Week maintains a small group of volunteer evaluators who help observe and review food-and-drink establishments throughout the year. These evaluators visit locations under normal operating conditions and complete evaluation forms based on their experience. Their feedback becomes part of the independent review process that helps inform which locations may be invited to participate in future Reno Food & Drink Week events.
We look for individuals who regularly dine in Reno, can evaluate hospitality and quality thoughtfully, and are comfortable providing objective feedback. Professional hospitality experience is welcome but not required—good judgment, consistency, and discretion are what matter most.
To maintain fairness, individuals who currently work for, are contracted with, or have ownership in a Reno food or drink establishment are not eligible to participate. Evaluators also agree to confidentiality guidelines and their identities are not publicly disclosed.
If you’re interested in being considered, you may submit an application.
Selection is limited and based on operational needs, so submitting an application does not guarantee placement, but it allows us to consider you when openings become available.
To protect the integrity of the process, judges identities are confidential.
Rankings are determined using a structured evaluation system based on verified guest visits. Each evaluation scores three categories: Food & Drink Quality & Execution, Service & Hospitality, and Perceived Cleanliness. These scores are combined to determine each establishment’s overall standing.
This methodology is designed to reflect the same core principles used by leading culinary institutions, where consistency and overall guest experience are key.
To maintain the integrity of the process and keep the focus on the experience itself, detailed scoring data is not publicly shared. All results are driven solely by verified evaluations and applied consistently across every participating establishment.
You can reach us by text or email.
Text: (775) 453-6070
Email: renofoodanddrinkweek@gmail.com
Phone calls are not accepted.
You’re welcome to reach out with questions, comments, ideas, feedback about the event, to report a hiccup, to secure a sponsorship, to contribute to The Giveaways, or to just say Hi!
While we’ll do our best to respond as quickly as possible, please allow 24–48 hours for a reply.
If we didn’t answer your question, please reach out.