Would the lure of a free shuttle to Montalvo attract concertgoers to downtown Saratoga?

Nearly six weeks after the free shuttle program from the Village to Montalvo started, the verdict is in: more and more people are using Saratoga's dinner-to-concert shuttle.

The shuttle program had kicked off on July 15. Since then, those going to Villa Montalvo for a concert could take a free shuttle if they had dinner at a Village restaurant or if they decided to stay at one of the inns in the Village.

In recent weeks, the shuttles ferrying concertgoers have been full or nearly full in most cases.

"We wanted to offer a program that brought more and more people into the village. We wanted to tie the entertainment, the restaurant and the hotel industry together in one program," said Danielle Surdin, the city's economic development coordinator.

She said that because of the shuttle program, there has been an increase in the restaurant as well as the hotel business in the Village.

"It has really helped business, especially on weekday nights and Sunday nights," Surdin said. She said the turnout had exceeded all expectations.

The city had to hire another bus to meet the increase in demand.

Rolando Locci, the co-owner of Sent Sovi restaurant who first suggested the idea of a shuttle to the city, said the program was bringing in more people to his restaurant.

"I just counted the number of [free shuttle] passes that were given out during the last concert, and it shows that more than 150 people used it," said Locci. "People know about it and they come into the restaurant intending to use it. Half of those people will not do it otherwise."

Karen Grellas, one of the owners of Viaggio restaurant on Big Basin Way, said the program had started off slowly but that it had gained in popularity after the first few weeks.

"If I had to guess, I would say that there are probably five more tables on every concert night," Grellas said.

Gregory Pache, part owner and general manager of the Plumed Horse, another restaurant in the Village, said the program would do much better next year as more and more people got to know about it. "It is too early for me to say how much difference the shuttle program has made to my restaurant. But it has definitely made a difference," Pache said.

The shuttle program will operate until the end of the concert season, in September. There are two shuttle stops in the Village—one near Bella Saratoga restaurant and another near Sent Sovi restaurant. The shuttle stops are marked by A-frame signs.

Patrons who want to use the shuttle will have to ask the restaurant for a free pass when they eat at the restaurant or when they check in to one of the local hotels. They have to hand over the passes to the shuttle driver.

Each trip accommodates 24 people. The first shuttle to Montalvo leaves two hours before the concert and the last one 15 minutes before.

For a complete list of participating businesses and for more information, log on to www.saratogafreeshuttle.com.