Climate change tax for dining out? California restaurants add 1% fee to the bill

May 10, 2019 by TaraPaige Group Leave a Comment

Hundreds of new restaurants open in the U.S. each year. These are the best of 2018

“Eating out is already getting more expensive, as restaurants nationwide raise prices to cover rising rents and employee costs.

Now, some California diners will get hit with a climate change tax.

Spurred by a Bay Area restaurateur, eateries across the state will have the option this fall of joining the Restore California Renewable Restaurant program, which adds 1% to the bill. The program is optional for restaurants and consumers alike. Funds from the initiative go to help farmers make changes in their fields that would help capture carbon dioxide. CO2 is considered among the chief contributors to climate change.”

“The new initiative comes against a backdrop of rising dining prices. In January, full-service restaurant prices were up 2.7 percent from a year earlier, well above the 1.6 percent annual rise for inflation overall, according to the consumer price index.”

View more here.

Filed Under: Enterprise Insight, Events, Heard on The Street, Operations, Retail Spotlight, sales, Your Restaurant Tagged With: bill, Californian, changes, Climate Change, climate change tax, Co2, Consumer, consumer behavior, eatery, Eating Out, Food, food industry, nationwide, news, Reservations, Restaurant, restaurants, tax

East Village’s Jiang Diner Is a Magnetic New Entry Into NYC’s Chinese Dining Scene

May 7, 2019 by TaraPaige Group Leave a Comment

Lamb stuffed shumai dumplings

“(…) Jiang Diner also refers to its purse-shaped manti dumplings as shumai, even though they are not the sort of fragile little dumplings one finds in a Cantonese or Japanese restaurants. They are nevertheless quite good, bulging with a wet lamb or beef filling. The dumpling skins are way more delicate than the doughy ones found in, say, a Uzbekistan restaurant like Nargis Cafe.

The greatest strength of Jiang Diner lies in its introduction of dishes we hadn’t really seen before in New York. Most brilliant of all, but also on the expensive side, is its plate of lamb ribs ($26), either steamed or roasted, and presented with dipping reservoirs of powdered Asian cumin and thick chile paste. Those who eschew fat should avoid these, but there is no more flavorful lamb in town, except perhaps some local versions of Mexican barbacoa. Another dish that shouldn’t be missed is the steamed eggplant with fresh garlic paste ($8), which will feel somewhat familiar to anyone who frequents local Sichuan restaurants. This one also features potatoes, while red bell peppers add sweetness. I liked it so much that I tried it twice, and the time it was served to me warm, it was transcendent.”

KFC Is Ready For Nationwide Delivery Launch

May 6, 2019 by TaraPaige Group Leave a Comment

“KFC, which plans to launch nationwide delivery later this year, contributed to strong sales growth at parent company Yum Brands Inc., which reported global same-store sales growth of 4% for the first quarter.

Yum CEO Greg Creed said KFC’s strong numbers were driven by strong results in international markets, including double-digit same-store gains in Japan and Indonesia.

“This global powerhouse saw widespread strength, coupled with standout performances in some of our larger markets,” Creed told investors during a Wednesday morning conference call.

In the U.S., Creed said KFC delivery is now available in 2,200 restaurants through Grubhub. He said most orders are coming at dinner, where larger family packs are popular. He called the KFC classic bucket an “incredible delivery device” as food shows up piping hot.”

View more here.

Filed Under: Customer Trends, Enterprise Insight, Events, Global Market Buzz, Heard on The Street, Shopbuzz, Trending Now Tagged With: CEO, classic bucket, Delivery, Fast Food, Growth, Grubhub, Nacho Fries, online, order, ordering, QuickOrder, Restaurant, restaurants, sales, sales volume, wings, Yum

Best NYC Mexican Restaurants To Celebrate Cinco de Mayo 2019

May 3, 2019 by TaraPaige Group Leave a Comment

Taqueria Santa Fe

Topping the list is Taqueria Santa Fe. Located at 4708 47th Ave. in Sunnyside, it is the highest-rated Mexican restaurant in New York City, boasting 4.5 stars out of 305 reviews on Yelp.

See more restaurant here.

Filed Under: Customer Trends, Events, Heard on The Street, Local Market Buzz, Operations, Opportunities, Trending Now, Your Restaurant Tagged With: 2019, cinco de mayo, Customer Trends, Festival, Food, food industry, Lifestyle, May, Mexican, mexican food, NYC, Reservations, Restaurant, restaurants, reviews, Taqueria, Yelp

May 2, 2019 by TaraPaige Group Leave a Comment

Request for Proposals

For the development, operation, and maintenance of food, beverage and/or merchandise concessions at three Kiosks (Kiosks 1, 2 and 3) at Fordham Plaza in the Borough of the Bronx.

Solicitation Numbers: Kiosk 1: 84119BXAD338, Kiosk 2: 84119BXAD339, Kiosk 3: 84119BXAD340
Issue Date: May 2, 2019
Due Date: June 6, 2019 at 2PM

REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS (KIOSK RFPS)

The Department of Transportation (“DOT”) is seeking concessionaires for the development, operation, and maintenance of a food, beverage and/or merchandise concession at three Kiosks (Kiosks 1, 2 and 3) at Fordham Plaza located at Fordham Road, Third Avenue and East 189^th Street in the Borough of the Bronx (“Plaza”). DOT is releasing a Request for Proposal for each kiosk available on the City Record at the following links or enter the Solicitation number in the search field of the City Record homepage for the publication.

Kiosk 1: 84119BXAD338
https://a856-cityrecord.nyc.gov/RequestDetail/20190425025

Kiosk 2: 84119BXAD339
https://a856-cityrecord.nyc.gov/RequestDetail/20190425026

Kiosk 3: 84119BXAD340
https://a856-cityrecord.nyc.gov/RequestDetail/20190502021

DOT is also seeking proposals for food, beverage and/or merchandise concession in the Café Building at Fordham Plaza. The Request for Proposals for the Café Building is found here: https://a856-cityrecord.nyc.gov/RequestDetail/20190402014. Prospective proposers are encouraged to consider applying to as many of these RFPs as they are interested in.

TERM
In each Kiosk RFP, DOT is seeking a kiosk concessionaire for one (1) five-year term with three (3) five-year renewal options, exercisable at DOT’s sole discretion. No longer term will be considered. This concession will be operated pursuant to a license agreement issued by DOT; no leasehold or other proprietary right is offered.

SITE VISIT
There will be a strongly recommended on-site proposer meeting and tour of Fordham Plaza. The tour will take place on May 15, 2019 and will include a tour of the Café Building starting at 10AM and a tour of the kiosks at 11AM. We will be meeting at Fordham Plaza under the canopy at the Café Building doors in the northeast corner of the plaza near the corner of Fordham Road and Third Avenue. If you are considering responding to this RFP, please make every effort to attend this meeting and site tour. DOT will view favorably proposers that attended the site visit.

PROJECT MANAGER
The Project Manager for this concession is Brandon Budelman. All RFP questions and/or inquiries should be directed to him. He may be reached at:

Phone: (212) 839-9625
Email: concessions@dot.nyc.gov

You are receiving this email because you are on the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) mailing list for Food and Beverage or Merchandise solicitations.

Hard copies of the Kiosk RFPs can be obtained, at no cost, commencing on Thursday, May 2, 2019 through Thursday, June 6, 2019 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., excluding weekends and holidays, at the ACCO Contract Management Unit (CMU), 55 Water, Ground Floor; New York, NY 10041. The entrance to the CMU office is located on the south side of the building facing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Proper government issued identification is required for entry to the building.

https://paigepapers.com/2019/05/02/17585/

Filed Under: Baking, Coffee, Cooking, Customer Trends, Events, Heard on The Street, Local Market Buzz, Openings, Operations, Opportunities, Proposals, Trending Now, Your Restaurant Tagged With: beverages, Bronx, development, DOT, Food, food industry, Food Service, Fordham Plaza, Kiosk, kiosks, New York City Department of Transportation, Opportunities, Proposals, RFP

Starbucks Launches Summer LTOs

May 2, 2019 by TaraPaige Group Leave a Comment

“It’s already summer at Starbucks as the chain brought back three of its limited-time Frappuccino flavors this week and also created a few other LTOs. The Frappuccino optons include the:

S’mores Frappuccino, which combines marshmallow whipped cream and milk chocolate sauce along with a blend of coffee, milk and ice. It’s finished off with more whipped cream and a graham cracker crumble.
Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino, made with mocha sauce and Frappuccino chips blended with coffee, milk and ice layered on top of whipped cream and chocolate cookie crumble and finished off with whipped cream and chocolate cookie crumbles.
Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino, a dark caramel sauce blended with coffee, milk and ice on top of whipped cream and dark caramel sauce then topped with another layer of dark caramel sauce, whipped cream, caramel drizzle and crunchy caramel sugar topping.”

Beyond Meat’s Pending IPO Could Be Valued at $1.2 Billion

April 29, 2019 by TaraPaige Group Leave a Comment

“Beyond Meat Inc., the maker of vegan chicken and beef substitutes backed by some of the biggest names in food and technology, is seeking to raise as much as $184 million in its initial public offering.

The company plans to sell 8.75 million shares for $19 to $21 each, according to a filing Monday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. A listing at the top of that range would give the company a market value of about $1.2 billion based on the shares to be outstanding after the offer, according to its filing.

The company is one of several makers of plant-based meat substitutes or lab-grown meats that have attracted high-profile backers. Its investors include Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates and actor Leonardo Dicaprio, as well as former McDonald’s Corp. chief executive officer Don Thompson. Beyond Meat’s biggest stakeholders are venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers LLC, which owns 16 percent of the company, and Twitter Inc. co-founder Ev William’s Obvious Ventures with 9 percent, according to its filings.

Tyson Foods Inc., the largest U.S. meat producer, is accelerating development of its own alternative-protein products and is also a backer of Beyond Meat. Tyson has invested in Jerusalem-based Future Meat Technologies and, along with Gates, Richard Branson and Cargill Inc., is an investor in Memphis Meats, a cultured meat producer.”

Three Owls Market: One Part Bodega, One Part Restaurant

April 24, 2019 by TaraPaige Group Leave a Comment

Three Owls Market

“Lehrer Dumaine seeks to close the gap with Three Owls Market, which is one part bodega, one part prepared-foods all-day cafe and one part bar. The Mamaroneck, N.Y., native who lives close by, (“I’ve got it down to an eight-and-a-half-minute walk,” she says) hopes to serve the neighborhood with New York City bodega staples like Domino sugar, Heinz ketchup and toilet paper — and also feed and imbibe them, with a full menu of hot sandwiches, prepared vegetable dishes and rotisserie chicken, as well as craft beers and wine for happy hour.

To staff her full kitchen, Lehrer Dumaine brought in head chef Greer Lou, who previously worked as a private chef for Jessica Seinfeld at her Hamptons home, and is a veteran of Alice Waters’ Rome Sustainable Food Project.

Lehrer Dumaine has been working on Three Owls since 2017. The landlord for the property informed her the previous tenant — the Nonno Gourmet deli and bodega run by a man named Charlie — wanted to hang up his hat. Lehrer Dumaine said yes, and started on renovations and acquiring a liquor license; a process she says allowed her to become closer with the community.

“The liquor license process required me to meet with the neighborhood associations around here,” she explains. “That was really eye-opening to me because I’d never been involved with city politics before — just seeing how influential the people who live in a neighborhood can be, determining what goes where.”

NYC’s Balkan restaurants share culture, traditions with classic dishes

April 23, 2019 by TaraPaige Group Leave a Comment

Djerdan Burek, a restaurant that was started over

“Most cultures have some kind of crispy, melty combination of bread and cheese: for Italy, it’s pizza; for the United Kingdom, it’s the toastie; for Brazil, it’s pao de queijo. And for the lesser-known “Balkans,” it’s the burek. Reminiscent of Greek spanakopita, burek is a flaky, layered phyllo dough pie that can be filled with the likes of cheese, beef, spinach, potato or apple. (…) Djerdan Burek, with locations in Astoria, Brooklyn and a factory in New Jersey, was started more than 20 years ago by Esma and Hamo Medunjanin, refugees from Bosnia. It was a true mom-and-pop shop then, according to daughter Selma Medunjanin-Ismajli, who took over the business with her two siblings when their parents retired.”

Back in the late 1990s her mother was making burek pies at home in their one-bedroom apartment and selling them to a local Balkan restaurant, and her father saw an opportunity. They rented a building on 34th St. and 31st Ave. in Astoria — where the restaurant is still located — and her mother worked the kitchen while her father worked the floor.”

“At this time many Bosnian refugees had settled in Astoria and not much was available to them,” Medunjanin-Ismajli explained. “We were one of the first Balkan restaurants to start up in the area. It was a very simple mom-and-pop restaurant with homemade food and friendly familiar service. To this day we try to operate and maintain the same principles and service.”

China’s Fastest Growing Hotpot Chain Just Minted Two Billionaires

April 22, 2019 by TaraPaige Group Leave a Comment

Image result for Haidilao International Holding Ltd

“China’s insatiable demand for spicy hotpot is placing the founders of a restaurant chain atop one of the world’s fastest-growing fortunes, allowing them to outpace many of the wealthiest families globally.

As of Monday, Zhang Yong, chairman of Haidilao International Holding Ltd., and his wife Shu Ping, had grown $6 billion richer in 2019, a 79 percent jump in just over three months.

That pace is the fastest in Asia and globally only topped by Australian mining baron Andrew Forrest, who has doubled his fortune this year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire’s Index, a ranking of the world’s 500 richest people.

Haidilao went public in September, and it’s been a lucrative time for China’s largest hotpot chain, popular for the spicy broths in which diners cook their meats and vegetables. The company is pushing to make its restaurants more efficient by creating automated kitchens. Perks like the free manicures it offers waiting customers have kept families coming in. And the brand is expanding overseas with new locations planned in New York and London.

Last year, revenue surged 60 percent to 17 billion yuan ($2.6 billion), and that’s helping to push the stock up more than 75 percent this year. At about $21 billion, the company’s market value is now higher than Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.”

Climate change tax for dining out? California restaurants add 1% fee to the bill

East Village’s Jiang Diner Is a Magnetic New Entry Into NYC’s Chinese Dining Scene

Request for Proposals

NYC’s Balkan restaurants share culture, traditions with classic dishes

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