Residents can look forward to cut-price meals this winter as Island restaurants are preparing to drop their prices in a bid to fill their premises with locals, The Royal Gazette has learned.

With tourism taking a heavy hit in the wake of terrorist attacks in the United States, Island restaurants are preparing special menus and deals to entice locals so they can keep their businesses afloat.

Chamber of Commerce night clubs and restaurant division chairman Jay Correia said restaurants recognise they will have have to work extra hard to entice locals if they want to avoid laying off staff.

"Quite a few adverts are going into the paper for special menus and special prices and we'll definitely see a lot more of that," he told The Royal Gazette.

"It's going to be a good time for the local consumer and winter will see some definite savings with businesses trying to make the best they can out of it.

"With so few tourists we are looking to do whatever we can to entice the local market to come out more. It's going to be difficult because the margins are pretty tight but most restaurants recognise that to do nothing is not appropriate.

"It is not business as usual. The general opinion is, we'd rather charge people less to make sure they come out keep the business ticking over and avoid laying off staff.

"Its going to be tough this winter, but we're hoping that by March and April, we'll start to see a season start again."