New App Means New Competition for Fast Casual

June 11, 2014 by Leave a Comment

In an effort to add more emphasis on speed and hospitality, BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse launched an app last Tuesday that allows diners to place their orders before arriving at the restaurant. BJ’s Chief Executive Gregory Trojan believes that being hospitable is the most important task for a waiter. The casual-dining restaurant chain’s goal in launching the app is to shift the wait staff’s duties to enable them to focus on being more conscientious of the customer.

The customer is placed on the wait list once they have ordered via the app, eliminating the need to wait at the host stand upon arriving at the restaurant. The kitchen fires the meal once the customer is seated to ensure the food is hot when it arrives at the table. The app also offers a mobile payment option at the end of the meal eliminating the need to wait for the check.Trojan assures that the app will not mean less waiters but simply that the waiters will be removed from the ordering process.

The increase in speed and service will be an added draw to the customer which will enable BJ’s to better compete with fast casual establishments. Panera Bread and McDonald’s have also been experimenting with different ways to include the customer to streamline the ordering process.

 

To read more about the app launch and what it means for the future click here

 

Filed Under: Global Market Buzz, Operations Tagged With: , , ,

Ice Cream Parlor Opens on LES

June 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Nick Morgenstern is opening Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream parlor this Friday on the Lower East Side. Nick Morgenstern, a classically trained pastry chef, has worked in some of the best restaurant kitchens such as Daniel and Gramercy Tavern, and currently runs Goat Town and El Rey restaurants. His dream ever since he graduated culinary school fifteen years ago however, was to open an ice cream parlor. He has had this concept in the works for quite some time, and lucky for us the parlor is opening right in time for the summer months on Rivington St. near Bowery. One thing that stands out about Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream is that it has counter seats spread throughout the parlor where the customer can receive service, which is why it is referred to as an parlor as opposed to a shop. The menu includes many eccentric ice cream and sorbet flavors and unusual toppings. The parlor will also be offering a very special take on the classic ice cream sandwich..

 

To read more about the menu and to see pictures click here 

 

Filed Under: Local Market Buzz, Openings

Intelligentsia Coffee now inside Urban Outfitters!

June 9, 2014 by Leave a Comment

The new location of Chicago-based coffee company Intelligentsia can now be found inside the Urban Outfitters at Herald Square. The shop opened in a great space within the Urban Outfitters shop at the end of last week. The space has a full white marble counter top, large decorative coffee urns, a pour-over station and uses a La Marzocco espresso machine. Unlike its outpost in the High Line Hotel, in addition to sweets from Mah-Ze-Dar bakery this location also conveniently serves salads and sandwiches to go. The savory options on the menu are being managed by Urban Outfitter’s director of food service.

Next time you find yourself in Herald Square you can pop into Urban Outfitters for a delicious cup of Intelligentsia coffee!

Intelligentisa Coffee
1333 Broadway
New York, New York 10018

To view some pictures of the new space click here

Filed Under: Local Market Buzz, Openings Tagged With:

Not So Secret Supper Clubs?

June 9, 2014 by Leave a Comment

When Airbnb first launched, the concept of choosing to spend your vacation in a stranger’s home seemed completely odd. Now that this is no longer considered as irregular, Airbnb has set itself a new challenge: to make dining in a stranger’s home somewhat mainstream. Airbnb is launching a pilot program in the San Francisco Bay area where it will allow home cooks to host a home cooked meal in their own homes. Home-sharing was originally a tough sell, but this could definitely prove to be a bigger challenge. Tourists most likely will want to explore the restaurant and bar scene of their destination, but perhaps this service could add a completely new dimension to the dining experience. From a diner’s point of view the experience could potentially be awkward depending on varying degrees of interaction with the hosts and a from a host’s point of view, cooking and entertaining is a lot more labor-intensive than simply rendering the keys to your home for a home stay.

To read more about this experiment and what it could mean for the restaurant sector click here

 

Filed Under: Global Market Buzz, Openings Tagged With:

Stronghold Williamsburg Verb Cafe is closing

June 6, 2014 by Leave a Comment

The Verb Café has been open on Bedford Ave in Williamsburg, Brooklyn since 1999.  The café could not afford to keep their doors open after a rental fee increase of 70% and is now set to close. The Verb was not necessarily known to brew the best cup of coffee, but was more of a popular hipster hangout which attracted many artists and musicians over the past fifteen years. It is uncertain whether or not they are relocating or if this is the final adieu, but either way the Williamsburg locals will always treasure the memory of Café Verb.

Filed Under: Closings, Local Market Buzz, Opportunities Tagged With: ,

Hope is not a Strategy!

June 6, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Costs are at an all time high affecting every single ingredient in the kitchen. In order to not feel dispirited, it is important to put a good strategy in place to deal with the unreliable nature of the supply chain. Last month at the National Restaurant Association Show, a group of experts in the industry shared some advice and knowledge for operators both large and small on how to navigate these uncertainties. Picking the right type of distribution system, choosing a capable distributor and communicating with your partners are all crucial factors to maximizing your supply chain strategy. It is key to always be conscious of future problems that could arise in order to protect your operations.

To read more about the emerging issues and how to tackle them, click here

Filed Under: Global Market Buzz, Local Market Buzz, Operations Tagged With:

Down to Earth Farmers Market opening in Chelsea

June 5, 2014 by Leave a Comment

A new farmers market named the ‘Down to Earth farmers market,’ is opening this Saturday on West 23rd St & 9th Avenue in Chelsea. This summer market will be set up on the sidewalks and open from 9AM to 5PM until November 22, giving locals a chance to shop for locally sourced food. Nicole Reed, a spokesperson for Down to Earth, states that one of the main goals in opening this market is to increasingly get more people to source from New York agriculture. The Down to Earth group currently has 19 markets in the NY area, and this will be its second location in Manhattan, with its first being the Morningside Park market.

Here are a few vendors that the market will be featuring:

  • Roots to River
  • Alex’s Tomato Farm
  • Locust Grove Fruit Farm
  • Meredith’s Bread
  • Tuthilltown Spirits Farm
  • Dickson’s Farmstand Meats

For more information on the market click here

Filed Under: Events, Local Market Buzz, Openings Tagged With: ,

Advancement of Mobile Payments in the Restaurant Industry

June 5, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Starbucks was the first to adopt mobile payments back in 2011, and now other brands are quickly getting on board. As mobile payments become increasingly more available, customers will begin to expect the service, so brands are now navigating through their options on how to launch their own mobile payment systems. At a panel held last week by the National Restaurant Association, brand representatives stated that mobile payments are moving toward the mass adoption stage and are no longer in the early stages.

Mobile payments offer the benefit of providing an insight into consumer’s purchasing behaviors and this information in turn can be used to influence such behaviors in order to better engage with the customer. Mobile payments also mean lower interchange rates and more secure payments. Restaurant brands will need to explore different technologies that can help facilitate payments at the point-of-sale and decide which will be a good fit.

Here are just a few of these types of technologies:

  • NFC
  • QR code presentment
  • QR code scan
  • Single use number
  • iBeacon technology

To read more about the benefits of mobile and the technologies, click here

 

Filed Under: Global Market Buzz, Local Market Buzz, Trending Now Tagged With: ,

Carmellini’s Bar Primi Opens on Bowery

June 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Last Monday, Andrew Carmellini opened Bar Primi, a new casual pasta shop on Bowery. The concept came into existence seven years ago, while Carmellini was still a chef at A Voce. However, due to a number of circumstances the restaurant did not end up opening. In January, when the space which used to belong to Peels (a neighborhood brunch spot) became available, Carmellini  seized the opportunity  to finally open the restaurant he had envisioned years earlier. Carmellini and chef/partner Salvatore Lamboglia have created a menu focused on traditional Italian pasta dishes, known as the ‘primi piatti;’ all made fresh and daily in house.

 

Read more about the menu and opening here

Filed Under: Local Market Buzz, Openings Tagged With: ,

Superfoods as a New Menu Trend

June 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Restaurant operators are beginning to clearly see the value of implementing more superfoods on their menus. Superfoods can be generally defined as foods that are high in antioxidants, nutrients and fiber as well as have an association with disease prevention and management. As consumers become more health conscious, operators are attempting to provide more nutritionally beneficial options on their menus. A 2012 Technomic, Inc. study showed that 38% of consumers aged 18 years or older would be more likely to visit restaurants that offer healthy choices even if they did not end up ordering them. The addition of superfoods on menus will result in greater variety for the consumer and help drive purchases.

 

Check out the article here

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Global Market Buzz, Local Market Buzz, Trending Now
«Previous Page
Next Page»