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Restaurateurs remain encouraged in the face of tough economic times, and expect next month's inaugural Frederick Restaurant Week to boost sales.

Firestone's Culinary Tavern in downtown Frederick had its best year in 2009, according to owner Kim Firestone. Sales were helped by what Firestone described as a "dynamite holiday season" and said last month's sales were "pretty strong," but declined to disclose specific figures.

The eatery, which opened in 1999, adapted to the recession by providing more affordable meals and fewer high-priced selections. It also does a substantial bar business, Firestone said, and customers haven't cut back.

But Phil Bowers, owner of Brewer's Alley, Acacia Fusion Bistro and Isabella's Taverna & Tapas Bar in downtown Frederick, said lunch traffic is down.

"People are brown-bagging lunch during the week," he said. Patrons are still "coming through the door but are pinching their pennies."

Last year's sales were "about flat" with a "slow start" this year, Bowers said, but he remains optimistic.

"Downtown still seems to be a place people want to come to for shorter day trips," he said.

Statewide, restaurant sales were down 1.2 percent in December from the previous year, according to tax data from the Comptroller's Office. Through December, fiscal 2010 sales were down 0.8 percent from fiscal 2009, based on the tax collection data.

Restaurant jobs in Frederick grew 6.0 percent from 2004 through last year, from 1,970 to 2,088, according to information from the city's Department of Economic Development.

"Restaurants contribute important jobs and tax revenue for the city," said Heather Gramm, a business development specialist with the city, in an e-mail to The Gazette.

"In addition, restaurants are drivers of pedestrian traffic, strengthening the surrounding retail. This is especially evident in downtown Frederick, which has become known regionally as a destination dining hot spot," she said.

Hilda Staples opened Volt in downtown Frederick in July 2008. Initially, business was "slow-going," which may have been related to the recession, she said, or because the restaurant was new.

Sales have since "steadily grown," and they received a "definite boost" from the long-running appearances of executive chef Bryan Voltaggio on the cable television cooking contest show "Top Chef," she said. Voltaggio finished as runner-up to his brother.

"I'm not sure if [sales] would have steadily increased without the show," Staple said. "We're taking reservations two months in advance and doing better than we projected."

These and other restaurants will participate in the inaugural Frederick Restaurant Week in March. Such promotions generate excitement among the dining public, said Tom Foulkes, executive vice president of the Restaurant Association of Maryland.

"It provides the restaurant an opportunity to shine the brightest and entice new customers and win them over as repeat customers," Foulkes said.

Bowers said he thinks Frederick Restaurant Week can bring a lot of first-time visitors to the area and "once they are here they can see the shops and everything Frederick has to offer," he said.

"It is a chance to showcase restaurants and a good way to break the habit of just going to one place," Bowers said.