EDMONTON -- Explore Edmonton has launched its newest venture highlighting Edmonton's growing culinary scene – a free mobile passport that offers exclusive discounts and special offers to downtown restaurants.

"We really saw that there was a need to support local and get people into those local businesses, so we started with the brewery pass," said Nykala Shone from Explore Edmonton. "And we saw so much success with that we wanted to kind of switch things up a little bit and focus more on dining."

Almost 5,000 people signed up for the brewery pass in August, and more than 100 of those people visited all 12 breweries, said Shone.

Since launching on Monday, Shone says the Explore Edmonton Downtown Dining Pass pass has already had 400 Edmontonians sign-up and make use of the discounts.

"We wanted to really curate the pass to get people downtown and to those restaurants," she says. "Hopefully remind people these businesses are here and we have such an amazing food culture in Edmonton."

The reason Shone says the pass is focused on downtown businesses is to try and generate more foot traffic in an area that has cleared out during the pandemic.

"They're not getting those lunch rushes. They're not getting those after work cocktail people coming and meeting up," said Shone.

"We just wanted people to remember to support downtown businesses even if you're not working downtown."

She says after talking to restaurant owners in the heart of the city, Explore Edmonton eventually picked 11 locally-owned restaurants.

"We would love to be able to add more downtown restaurants as well, so totally open to that. We're not stuck at 11," said Shone.

Restaurants can use the pass as long as they'd like, and even switch up their offers.

The pass doesn't expire, but it could change depending on which restaurants choose to participate in the program. Shone says if the pass is successful, there are plans for expansion.

"We're hoping in the future to be able to do the same thing for south side restaurants and other areas of the city as well so we can share the love that way too."

A full list of participating restaurants and a link to download the dining pass can be found on the Explore Edmonton website.