Dubois County Launches Restaurant Passport Program to Spotlight Local Eateries

Visit Dubois County is calling on locally-owned restaurants, cafés, bakeries, and other food establishments to join a new month-long promotional campaign launching in May 2026: the Dubois County Restaurant Passport Program.

The announcement, made Tuesday, marks an organized effort to draw attention to the county's independent dining scene by packaging participating businesses into a single community-wide experience. The passport format, a model used successfully in tourism promotions across the country, encourages participants to visit multiple locations and collect stamps or check-ins along the way, turning a meal into part of a broader culinary tour of the county.

The program is designed specifically for locally-owned establishments, distinguishing it from broader regional promotions that often favor chain restaurants or larger hospitality operators. That focus positions the initiative as a direct investment in Dubois County's homegrown food culture, from sit-down restaurants in Jasper to neighborhood bakeries and cafés scattered across the county's smaller communities.

Visit Dubois County, the organization behind the campaign, is currently in the recruitment phase, inviting businesses to sign up ahead of the May rollout. The month-long window gives participating establishments a sustained period of elevated visibility rather than a single promotional day or weekend event.

Details on how residents and visitors can obtain a passport, which businesses will participate, and what incentives may be involved are expected to become clearer as the program's May launch approaches and the full roster of participating eateries takes shape.