The sustainable and local salad and wrap chain, Sweetgreen, will be making its way to Williamsburg at 162 North 4th St and to Tribeca in the former Il Mattone space this summer. Co-owner Nicolas Jammet said in regards to the upcoming Brooklyn location: “Sweetgreen was born to live in Brooklyn and we could not think of a more perfect neighborhood than Williamsburg.”
Dave Pasternack to Join Forces with LDV Hospitality
January 31, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Chef Dave Pasternack of B & B Hospitality Group’s Esca is partnering with LDV Hospitality (Scarpetta, American Cut) in an Italian fish restaurant venture. The restaurant will open in the old Promenade Des Anglais space. “I’m calling it Barchetta, which means small boat,” said Chef Pasternack. He continues, “It’s taken me 14 years, but I’m finally doing it.” Esca patrons need not worry, as Pasternack has no plans to leave.
Blue Bottle Raises $25 Million for Expansion
January 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Thanks to the $25 million Blue Bottle just raised from investors, the Oakland-based coffee roasters will be launching several more locations on both coasts in the near future. The top-tier coffee company plans to “expand retail operations, improve internal training programs and further develop its quality control department.” A Boerum Hill location, bottled iced coffee and an improved sustainability quotient include just a few of the exciting ventures in store for Blue Bottle.
About.me founder and True Ventures (the company that invested $20 million dollars in Blue Bottle in 2012) investor Tony Conrad lauded visionary/Blue Bottle Founder James Freeman:
“What we saw and why we got involved is that James and his team are part of a handful of people who are founding a movement around coffee. It’s not just the very specific experience around the coffee Blue Bottle roasts, it’s everything they do from the way they source the product; supporting farmers in developing regions of the world to grow the purest, highest quality organic beans that promote sustainability; the way they choose store locations that often act as a vote of confidence for a developing neighborhood; and how they serve the product (what cup, what glass, what temperature, single origin beans versus blended bean mixes, espresso drinks only on premise….). They think through every detail to offer something beautiful in our daily lives—it’s a philosophy/approach that has led to a movement around the integrity of experience around coffee.”
President Obama Addresses Minimum Wage Debate in SOTU Speech
January 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Fast Casual reported on the need to increase the minimum wage and the solution to income inequality, addressed in President Obama’s State of the Union address this past Tuesday. The idea is that people who work full time should not have to support themselves and their families in poverty. President Obama noted that in the coming weeks, he will issue an executive order requiring federal contractors to pay their federally-funded employees “at least $10.10 and hour.” Currently, the federal rate is $7.25. That being said, President Obama acknowledged, “Americans understand that some people will earn more money than others and we don’t resent those who achieve incredible success.”
Some, however, argue that the minimum wage hike would actually hurt, not help.
The National Retail Federation’s CEO, Matthew Shay, said a minimum wage hike would create “minimum opportunities.”
“We welcome the president’s focus on the economy and jobs, but a minimum wage hike runs counter to that goal. Raising the minimum wage would place a new burden on employers at a time when national policy should be focused on removing barriers to job creation, not creating new regulations or mandates. It’s simple math — if the cost of hiring goes up, hiring goes down,” Shay explains.
He continues, “Fewer than 5 percent of hourly workers are paid the minimum wage. It’s really a starting wage that allows teen-agers or others with little job experience to enter the workforce. A mandated hike in labor costs would negatively impact businesses that employ people in entry-level jobs and ultimately hurt the people it is intended to help.”
Wine Direct Shipments Skyrocket as Average Price Per Bottle Decreases
January 28, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Winery-to-consumer direct shipments have exceeded the overall growth of the American wine retail sector dramatically, increasing to $1.57 Billion in 2013. According to reports based on millions of transactions in 2013 from ShipCompliant and Wines & Vines, the average price per bottle shipped has decreased for the first time since first being tracked in 2010. The newly-released, downloadable annual winery-to consumer shipping report gives detailed insights on the where, how, and when of winery shipments; furthermore, it predicts the future of winery to consumer shipping over a ten-year pipeline.
Notable report findings include:
- In 2013 the volume of shipments increased 9.3% to 3.47 million cases, while total sales of winery-to-consumer shipments increased 7.7% to $1.57 Billion
- 2013 was the first year that the average price per bottle of wine dropped from the prior year and rested at $37.78
- Shipments from Napa Valley represented nearly 50% of the total value of the channel
- Sonoma County and Oregon experienced explosive growth in direct shipments in 2013
- Shipments of Pinot Noir continue to increase across the country
- With only modest assumptions concerning growth, the direct to consumer shipping could grow to $3.2 billion in ten years.
Organic Avenue to Open Vegan Grab-and-Go Concept
January 27, 2014 by 1 Comment
In an attempt to surpass the competition, Organic Avenue is launching a vegan grab-and-go concept, slated for a spring opening. The vegan-raw-organic chain will introduce a variety of breakfast and lunch options to make it easier for New Yorkers to include healthy meal options throughout their day. “Our goal is to become the definitive destination for organic breakfast, lunch and cold-pressed juices, which gives us endless possibilities for expansion in key metropolitan markets around the country,” explained Martin Bates, Organic Avenue’s CEO and former chief executive of Pret A Manger. According to the New York Post, “the 10-store chain is also set to launch six stores this year, beginning in February with a 1300 square foot space at 640 Broadway in the East Village. Similarly sized locations at 5 Bryant Park, and 254 Park Ave. South will follow in April.”
Russ & Daughters Café to Open Mid-March
January 27, 2014 by Leave a Comment
After a century of churning some of the city’s best caviar, smoked fish, herring and bagels, Russ & Daughters will be opening Russ & Daughters Café, slated for a mid-March opening at 187 Orchard Street. Stay tuned to learn more about the exciting new venture.
Six Foods: Insect-Inspired Food
January 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment
A medley of female companions, Meryl Natow, Rose Wang and Laura D’Asaro, have teamed up with the original mission to create healthy, delicious and sustainable food made from insects. Introducing Six Foods; because “six legs are better than four.” According to the insect advocates, “Eating insects is good. Insects taste good, are good for us, and are good for the planet. What’s not to like?”
Meet-Up: How Tech is Transforming Restaurants
January 23, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Network with industry members over wine and snacks while learning more about the influence of technology in restaurants on Thursday, Jan. 30th from 7-10pm at Grind Broadway (1412 Broadway, 22nd Floor). Find out more about the dozens of tech startups that are passionate about optimizing customer experience and restaurant operations. Local food artisans will have the opportunity to exhibit their products; email nina(at)foodtechconnect(dot)com if interested.
Confirmed presenters include:
Mark Egerman or Andrew Cove – co-founders, Cover – An OATV and Lerer Ventures backed payment processing app that lets customers seamlessly pay for their meals and saves restaurants money on credit card fees. @coverpay / [masked]
Alice Cheng – founder & CEO, Culinary Agents – A RRE Ventures and Correlation Ventures backed professional network that offers job matching and networking for culinary professionals in the food, beverage and hospitality industry. @CulinaryAgents / [masked]
Darren Wan – CEO & co-founder, Easy Pairings – An online marketplace for the hospitality industry that allows restaurants to lower recruitment costs and find great staff quickly and easily. @easypairings / [masked]
Eric Poley – VP of Sales, Objective Logistics – A Google Ventures and Atlas Venture backed retail/restaurant-focused software company that provides an artificially-intelligent, web-accessible labor performance management platform (MUSE). @OBJL / [masked]
Matt Oley – VP of Sales, Swipely – An Index Ventures and Shasta Ventures backed service that processes credit card payments for local merchants, then uses payment data to help businesses market and develop customer loyalty programs. @Swipely / [masked]
paigepapers.com 