The parks department has put out a request for proposals for the operation of a snack bar/cafeteria at Parks’ Olmsted Center, and a kiosk at David Dinkins’ Circle, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens. See below for the full RFP:
|
Request for Snack Bar/Cafeteria Operators in Corona Park, Queens
What’s happening in Stadiums, the Unexpected Food Frontier
As baseball season gets underway, more and more attention is being drawn to an often overlooked part of the stadium experience: the food. It may take awhile to overcome associations with dry pretzels, standard-issue hot dogs and over-priced beer, but at least a few stadiums are trying to bring fans a better dining experience.
The clearest example is Citi Field, where (beginning April 8th), you can get David Chang’s Fuku fried chicken sandwich. The Fuku stand with have the spicy sandwich, as well as fries, Fuku fingers, and Milk Bar cookies. Yankee’s fan? Not to worry, Yankee stadium has new treats in store as well, including egg creams from Linda’s Brooklyn Style Egg Creams. If you’re into indulging as much as possible at the ball park, they’ve got plenty of artery-clogging specials as well.
This may still not compel non-baseball fans to sit through a full game, but it’s certainly an added bonus for those already heading out to a game.
4/20: Food Labeling Workshop With Brooklyn Foodworks
On April 20th, Brooklyn Foodworks will be hosting a crash course in food labeling requirements – essential knowledge for any entrepreneurs in the food industry. Attorneys from Goodwin Procter LLP will discuss key issues in food labeling, including liability claims (and how to avoid them) and regulatory requirements. The event will also be a great opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry, all for free sponsored by nonprofit Start Small Think Big.
To register, click here.
4/13: Learn To Launch A Successful KickStarter with Brooklyn Foodworks
On April 13th, you can join Brooklyn Foodworks and guest speakers Terry Romero and Rebecca Dengrove for a crash course in launching successful food kickstarter campaigns (not to mention a great networking opportunity with other foodservice professionals).
Romero is Kickstarter’s food project lead, and Dengrove has extensive experience building retail brands, including her latest project – Brewla Bars. For only $5, attendees will learn from the speakers (and each other):
– Tips and best practices for crafting a high quality crowdfunding campaign
– Opportunities for rallying your community around your project
– How to plan your campaign from start to finish: what to do before, during, and after your campaign is complete
For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
New York Approves $15 Minimum Wage
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo followed closely on the heels of California yesterday, announcing an agreement with Albany lawmakers to raise the NY State minimum wage to $15 per hour over the next few years. The increase will begin with for workers in New York City employed by large businesses (those with at least 11 employees), who will have a minimum wage of $11 at the end of 2016, and an additional $2 each year after, reaching $15 on 12/31/2018.
The national labor rights movement has been fighting for $15 since 2012, and roughly half of the 50 states have increased their minimums somewhat (although the Federal minimum is still set at $7.25 due to congressional opposition). The final legislation in NY has not been approved, so it’s unclear how it will affect tipped workers. The tipped minimum in New York increased recently to $7.50, precipitating some of the gratuity-free movement. Additional increases would almost certainly prompt more NYC restaurants to raise prices and eliminate tipping altogether.
To read more, click here.
Free Burritos Can’t Help Chipotle Recover before 2018, But Maybe Burgers Can?
Chipotle’s next move?
After their colossal – and well publicized – downfall, Chipotle has been doing everything possible to get back in customer’s good graces. That includes giving away about 9 million free burritos earlier this month, according to the chain (that’s $62 million worth, if anyone’s counting). They plan to send another 21 million free food coupons in the mail this month. But analysts from Wedbush Securities point out that, while sales may be returning slowly, the coupon strategy isn’t a sustainable one. Eventually, guests have to forget the reason they stopped coming in the first place.
The investment firm downgraded Chipotle’s shares and cut their target stock price from $450 to $400, saying that “current valuation reflects an overly optimistic outlook regarding Chipotle’s path to recovery.” They do not expect Chipotle to recover the sales lost from the salmonella, norovirus and E. Coli outbreaks until at least 2018.
One curveball to these predictions may be the news that Chipotle has applied for a trademark on the name “Better Burger,” indicating they have plans to recoup the losses in another way. It’s a strange move considering the number of existing burger chains, and there’s no word yet from Chipotle on how they plan to market themselves in this arena.
To read more, click here and here.
paigepapers.com 