March 1999
In March 1999, readers of the Arizona Republic may have noticed something unusual in a restaurant advertisement. Along with the restaurant's name, address, and phone number appeared an unfamiliar addition: AZeats.com/MillAvenueLanding/
Today, including a website address in an advertisement is routine. In 1999, however, it was still uncommon. Most restaurants relied on newspaper ads, radio, and word of mouth. Few considered the World Wide Web an important part of their marketing strategy.
Mill Avenue Landing's decision to include its AZeats web address reflected a growing belief that the Internet could help attract customers and provide information beyond what a newspaper advertisement could contain.
Visitors who typed the address into their web browser could explore the restaurant online, view menus, learn about the establishment, and experience something that was still new for many diners: a restaurant website.
Looking back, this small line of text in a newspaper advertisement represents more than a web address. It marks a time when Arizona restaurants were beginning to introduce the World Wide Web to the public, one advertisement at a time.
