Maison Kayser Plans Two New Midtown Locations This Fall

French bakery concept Maison Kayser plans to open two new locations this fall, both in midtown.  One location, at 58th and Broadway, will open at the end of September.  A second will open on West 40th Street, near Bryant Park, by the end of the year.

Maison Kayser currently has two locations open in NYC, one on the Upper East Side at Third Avenue and E. 74th Street, and another in the Flatiron at Broadway and 21st Street.  There are dozens of other locations throughout the world, including the original Paris location which opened in 1996.

Founder Eric Kayser has become known for his breads and viennoiserie.  For the full story, click here.

Charging for Bags on the Docket for NYC

A bill was unveiled this week by NYC lawmakers to impose a ten cent charge on grocery bags in New York City that businesses give customers, eliciting immediate opposition from some business owners, politicians, and many citizens.

The bill is favored by environmental groups looking to reduce the 100,000 tons of plastic bags that the city sends to landfills each year, following the paths of cities such as Los Angeles, Washington, and San Francisco.

The story has been widely covered this week:

The Gothamist runs with great City Hall photos.

Crain’s New York

The Daily News

NBC New York

 

More “European” Stateside Eats to Keep You Buying “Local”

In a follow-up to the Prosciutto-born Iowa story, we couldn’t help but drool over this list of USA-made eats hailing from European origin. Locavores can proudly buy close to home from this list of edibles of Spanish, Italian, and French origin from Grub Street.

Expansion: Calexico Signs Franchise Deal

There’s a continued growth spurt underway for Calexico, the NYC-based Mexican fast casual. With the popularity of their trucks, standalone shops, and concessions, their success has seen them sign their third multi-unit franchise deal of 2013. The new deal is a 10-unit deal for Long Island and Queens, neighboring the brand’s home market of Manhattan.

Read the full story at FastCasual.

Brunch Begins at 10 am: Sidewalk Café Laws Repealed

In a move that has NYC restaurateurs rejoicing the city over, city officials have repealed a law that had cafes opening at noon, moving the time up to ten o’clock a.m.

The Wall Street Journal has the full story.

Box Kite Coffee Opens Preview Popup Today

It’s been a big week in the NYC coffee scene, with Pulley Collective launching and Joe becoming a roaster retailer. Today’s news is all about Box Kite, with veterans Cora Lambert and Erik Becker of the former (closed) RBC team.

They’ve opened a pop-up cafe at wine bar Maslow 6 to display their espresso and coffee expertise, reconnect with the Tribeca crowd, and hone their service skills before opening on St. Mark’s place later in the year.

Edible features them here.

Sprudge features them here

Pulley Launches Roastery Collective In Red Hook

We wrote yesterday about Joe , which is now becoming a roaster-retailer. They are making this leap as a roaster at the Pulley Collective, which has a feature in today’s New York Times.

The Pulley Collective is based in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and offers rental time for independent roasters.

Read the full article here.

Joe Becomes a Roaster Retailer, Launches “Waverly” Espresso

Joe , the New York coffee shop enterprise, after 10 years in business, is becoming a roaster-retailer. Sprudge‘s Alex Bernson talks with Director of Roasting Ed Kaufmann about their path, and how they’re making the transition.

Read the article here.

Daniel’s NYT Review: The Art of Disclosure

Pete Wells’ review of Daniel, published yesterday in The New York Times has been pulled apart by the industry, other critics, and diners everywhere. The review earns the restaurant 3 stars, one less than the 4 it had held previously in the paper. The catch was Wells sent in another diner to eat at the same time to see how their treatment differed.

We’re curious to hear your thoughts. This is not a new trick, to write as a VIP and non, it was well worn by Ruth Reichl during her tenure. How do you handle reviewers, critics, and the like in your own operations? When a reviewer comes in, how and does service change around them? Do you have a code that the staff communicates to the kitchen? Photos of reviewers on the walls of the kitchen?

The review is here.

Star Chefs Congress: Get Early Bird Tickets Before July 30

The Star Chefs International Chefs Congress is a three-day culinary symposium that gathers more than 140 of the world’s chefs, pastry chefs, mixologists, and sommeliers to present the latest techniques and culinary concepts to their peers. The event, from September 29 to October 1, includes Demonstrations, Hands-on Savory, Pastry, and Mixology workshops, Wine Tasting Seminars, and Business Panels on current industry topics, all gathered under the umbrella of this year’s ICC theme, Guts and Glory: Leaving It All on the Line.

Read more about the event and get tickets here.