200 1st Avenue (East Village)        Tel. 646 602 1300

Their Success…James Beard award winning chef Marco Canora has put his mark on the fast casual space in New York City by opening a single-item concept that is quite literally attached to his restaurant Hearth in the East Village. The concept at this takeout window is simple: bone broth to go. It is comforting, inexpensive and delicious. The service experience is quick and efficient. The product itself also claims to have excellent health benefits and can be described with some of New Yorkers’ favorite labels: natural, organic, grass-fed, local. Being that January has been named National Soup Month, TPG decided to explore a concept whose product is essential to and at the very root of soups.

The broth is served in coffee cup containers and is available in three flavors: chicken, gingered beef, and Hearth broth (a rich meat broth made with chicken, turkey and beef). There are also various healthy add-in options such as Calabrian chile oil, beet kvass (aka fermented beet juice), shiitake mushroom tea or freshly grated turmeric. Canora also has plans to add a vegetarian broth consisting of vegetables, seaweed and dried mushrooms. A seafood broth is also in the mix as well as more add-in options such as parsnip juice and coconut milk. Who would have thought there could be such an abundance of options for classic bone broth?

The idea of selling bone broth in coffee containers may seem outlandish at first, but the genius of the concept is that at a second glance it actually morphs into seeming completely natural and authentic. The simplicity is also refreshing; especially in stark contrast to the vast array of specialty hot beverages that exist (how many different kind of spiced lattes can there be?)! The fact that guests can personalize their broth by infusing it with the various add-ins is also an attractive aspect; the availability of different options to customize a product is always appreciated. The other truly intelligent aspect of the business plan is that the actual product itself is already in production at the neighboring restaurant, so there are minimal additional costs from soup to nuts (pun intended).

The Brodo take out window truly is the first of it’s kind and stands alone in its own new category of fast casual concepts. It can be consumed at any time of the day as a hot beverage, a meal or an afternoon snack. The broths are sold in small, medium or large sizes ranging in price from $4.50-$9. The broths can also be purchased in larger formats to take home for kitchen use, so there is somewhat of a retail aspect to the takeout window as well. Brodo also has two soup flavors, ribollita and chikarina, for guests who are not yet completely sold on the idea of sipping broths.

Take Aways…Marco Canora has accomplished what many chefs and owners strive for: opening a single-item fast casual concept that has never been done before and that has the ability to stand alone in it’s own new category. Brodo’s tag line is, “Sipping Broths-rethink your hot beverage,’ and this is exactly what is happening to guests who have tried the product and become repeat customers. The product is simple, unpretentious, enjoyable and affordable.