Restaurant Wars takes break

Sorry, foodies. There’s no Restaurant Wars this year.

The popular food festival and competition, held for the second time last fall, is taking a break this year.

The plan, said creator and organizer Kris Kilduff, is to regroup and make a come-back.

Jennifer Evans of Encore Events had partnered with him on the project for the past two years but was unable to help organize it this year.

“We are going to take a year break because Jennifer had to bow out of the mix. I’m getting a new partner and going strong from 2019,” he said in an email.

Last year’s second annual Restaurant Wars featured more than twice the number of eateries as the inaugural event. It was also at a bigger location. The first Restaurant Wars was held in Kendall Yards. The second was held at Avista Stadium.

Kilduff, a marketer and promoter who’s organized other local productions such as Spokane’s Top Model and Spokane’s Got Talent, describes himself as “the ultimate foodie.” Inspired by events such as Bite of Seattle and Feast Portland as well as reality TV contests, he launched Restaurant Wars to showcase Spokane’s burgeoning local food scene.

This year’s event had been slated for Sept. 30.

On the web: www.restaurant-wars.com.