A dozen restaurants looking to drum up business in February are competing in the first SouthSide Slamwich.

Playing off of the popular Downtown Burger Battle in January, each of the participating Sioux Falls restaurants will create a signature sandwich and ask diners to vote for their favorite.

“The goal is to attract diners to visit participating restaurants and try a tasty new sandwich with the goal of reaching a new audience who may not have had the chance to experience these restaurants previously,” said Jess Jones, who owns The Smoked Culture BBQ & Brews with her husband, Ryan Gaede.

The couple initiated conversations with other south-side restaurant owners looking to boost customer traffic during a slower period, and a brainstorming session led to the idea of the SouthSide Slamwich, they said.

“By joining us for this event, you will be directly supporting local restaurants that make our community unique,” Jones said. “It’s a great opportunity to come together as a community, enjoy some mouth-watering sandwiches and show our appreciation for the hardworking businesses in our area.”

Jones created a website, SouthSideSlamwich.com, that lists the participating restaurants and includes a description of their sandwiches and photos. There’s also a Facebook page for promotion.

The only guideline is “to craft a flavorful sandwich that would be available for anyone to try,” Jones said. Each restaurant will set the price for the meal.

Entries will be judged based on creativity, taste and overall appeal of the sandwich. Diners can cast votes on the website or at the restaurants.

The winning restaurant will lay claim to the SouthSide Sandwich Title Chain.

The “SouthSide” reaches into central Sioux Falls because The Dive at Park Ridge Galleria was among the first to join the promotion, Jones and Gaede said. The group extended the boundary to cover areas from 26th Street to the south side of Sioux Falls.

While the field for this year is set, organizers hope to see it expand next year.

The 12 restaurants are:

• 22Ten Kitchen Cocktails
• All Day Cafe
• The Barrel House
• The Dive
• Let It Fly
• McNally’s Irish Pub
• Roam Kitchen + Bar
• Roundhouse Brew Pub
• The Smoked Culture BBQ & Brews
• TapHouse 41
• Tavern 180
• Tinners Public House