Queens Restaurant Week

October 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment

This year’s Queens Restaurant Week will take place October 13th through to October 30th. Over 100 restaurants in 30 neighborhoods will be participating in Restaurant Week offering great prix fixe menus. The most common price points are $14 lunch menus and $28 three course dinners; tax and gratuity not included. Here are a few of the participating restaurants in the borough:

  • Penthouse 808 at the Raven Hotel is a great spot to enjoy rooftop dining with great views of Midtown Manhattan and the East River
  • Dutch Kills Centraal offers a $28 three-course dinner with a brand new chef. This gastro pub concept is local, organic and has a modern flare.
  • The Astor Room in Astoria offers a truly continental menu with great cocktail options as well. Enjoy live music with your dinner at this location.
  • Il Falco in Long Island City is a participating Italian restaurant offering a great Italian dishes

To view a list of the participating restaurants for Restaurant Week and to find out more about their deals running through to the end of October, click here

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

Global Restaurant Traffic Decrease

October 6, 2014 by Leave a Comment

According to The NPD Group, only four of 11 global markets (Australia, Great Britain, Russia and China) that were surveyed experienced an increase in traffic during the second quarter. While average checks increased worldwide, traffic declined in some markets causing some concern for the industry’s ability to attract repeat customers. The seven markets that did not show a traffic increase showed only modest declines or flat traffic. In the U.S., operators experienced an average check increase of 2.4 percent, however traffic remained stagnant compared with the same quarter in the year prior. Domestic and international traffic numbers seem to be fairly similar despite the different reasons for the decline.

Global SVP for NPD Foodservice, Bob O’Brien,  expressed in a statement that if there aren’t better results from quick service the entire industry will struggle: “Globally … the industry will continue to eddy about, growing here and declining there, with no clear direction.” According to an NPD report released in the past month, QSR visits fell 1 percent for the 12-month period ending in June, while visits to fine-dining restaurants rose 3 percent.

Some researchers have suggested that the traffic decline is caused by the confidence levels of low-income American consumers; “Those consumers — core customers for quick-service restaurants — are not increasing discretionary income for restaurant purchases in the wake of the Great Recession.” To read more about the trends in global restaurant traffic and possible explanations, click here

Filed Under: Global Market Buzz

Marketing & Branding Live Webinar: Text Analytics

October 6, 2014 by Leave a Comment

On October 21st at 2PM EDT a live webinar will be hosted by marketing and branding experts on Text Analytics 101: Watch Your Language. This webinar will stress the importance of words and especially those of your customers. It will show how important it is for your enterprise to be well equipped to a)listen and b)respond and act upon the messages customers are sending out about your enterprise.

The webinar event will show how successful brands use text analytics to participate in customer conversation and the key differentiators between different types of text analytics. The panel will also discuss what types of questions brands should be asking themselves before selecting a text analytics solution. Panelists include Kurt Williams, Chief Product Office of InMoment who brings over 15 years of experience in envisioning software products. Spencer Morris, VP of Text Analytics for InMoment directs the innovation and implementation of the industry-leading text analytics program.

To register for the event online and to learn more about what the webinar will reveal, click here

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Chobani Connects with Customers in NYC

October 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment

The Chobani location on the corner of Prince and West Broadway serves primarily as a test kitchen for the brand more so than it does as a major sales point. It is a perfect location to gain insight into what the young and trendy crowd in the neighborhood want and think of the brand’s creations. The savory menu items include plain yogurt with toppings such as red pepper harissa, olive oil, mint, and feta cheese to name a few, while the sweet dishes include toppings such as figs, honey and pistachios. All Chobani yogurt menu items range in price from $4.75 to $9.95.

The market research obtained from customers different tastes and preferences at this location have proven to be very valuable to the brand, so much so that they intend to open ten more similar outlets within the next year in San Francisco, LA, and Chicago amongst other U.S. cities. Peter McGuinness, Chobani’s chief marketing and brand officer states that the location is, “an inspiration and incubation center…we often have discussions with our guests at the cafe.” These conversations about the customers’ preferences have led to new menu items, such as the smoked-salmon sandwich made with mint and lane. McGuinness has observed that, “Everybody who leaves the cafe says they are more likely to buy our product at the grocery store.” So far sales at this Chobani cafe have increased 55% from last year.

Many dishes from this outlet are transitioning into supermarkets such as the pumpkin-spice yogurt, introduced as a seasonal flavor at the store; it has become Chobani’s fastest-selling item ever.To read more about how Chobani is connecting with their customers via a pseudo test kitchen in SoHo click here

Filed Under: Local Market Buzz Tagged With: ,

Crain’s Made in New York Trade Show

October 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment

On Thursday, October 23rd from 8AM-5PM the Crain’s Made In New York Trade Show will take place at the Fashion Institute of Technology. This trade show will feature special New York businesses in the food and beverage industry. The event is an excellent opportunity for small businesses in the industry to connect with large New York retailers and buyers. The event is unique in the sense that it is part marketplace, part trade show and partly an educational experience.

The events of the day will include showcased food and beverage businesses on the trade show floor along with ongoing sessions and seminars with business executives as well as with state and city government leaders. The day will also include the opportunity for one on one networking and training. Crain’s retailers, distributors, restaurateurs and hoteliers will all be attending the event. If you would like to attend you must pre-register and the admission to the trade show floor, seminars and cocktail reception costs $49 to attend, with additional costs for the Early Bird VIP admission which includes a special dinner at L’Apicio Restaurant.

To read more about the speakers at the event and the exhibitors or to RSVP, click here

Filed Under: Events, Local Market Buzz

Yaffa Cafe Closes in East Village

October 2, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Yaffa Cafe, a favorite 24-hour restaurant in the East Village, has closed for good after 32 years of service. Yaffa Cafe was a great late night spot in the neighborhood popular amongst NYU students. Last month the Department of Health shut down the cafe for several violations including a lack of a secondary fire exit in the backyard. The managers at Yaffa Cafe tweeted that their recipes would live on at their sister establishment, Simone Martini Bar, which can be found just down the block.

Locals took to twitter to express their anger, nostalgia and bitterness about the sudden close of Yaffa Cafe. It seems the general feeling is that Yaffa Cafe in St Marks Place will be missed for its quirkiness and all-night backyard hangout space which has already been dismantled and removed. The editor of the Guardian, Alex Koppelman, tweeted, “Yaffa Cafe is gone, and 23-year-old me is very sad.”

To read some of the tweets that came upon the news of the closing of Yaffa Cafe, click here

Filed Under: Closings, Local Market Buzz Tagged With:

Global Snacking Habits

October 2, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Nielsen conducted the first global snacking study for the year ending March 2014. The study consisted of surveying 30,000 people in 60 different countries on the snacks that were consumed the most in the period of the previous 30 days. The most common response to this global snacking survey was…chocolate! The second most common snacking food was fruits at 62%, vegetables at 52% along with cookies at 51% and bread at 50%.

The U.S snacking items were less-healthy than the snacking habits in the rest of the world, with salty chips as the main snacking item followed by chocolate, cheese and cookies. Although chocolate is the globally most snacked on item, different snacking habits vary country to country. In Peru and Chile ice-cream was the main snack of choice, while yogurt was at the top of the list for Mexico and Colombia. In China the most popular snacks after chocolate and fruits are nuts, seeds and dumplings. India reported bread and sandwiches as the main snack.

In Europe, France showed a strong orientation toward dairy, with yogurt and cheese leading the responses. Cheese was also a dominant response in Russia, Greece, and the Netherlands. In Israel and Romania the responses were very healthy with vegetables at the top of the list as the most common snacked on food. To read more about global snacking habits and to see a graphic diagram broken down by global regions, click here

Filed Under: Global Market Buzz

Seminar Event: Restaurants and the Affordable Care Act

October 1, 2014 by Leave a Comment

On October 8th at 10AM a seminar will be held at the NYC Chapter Office at 1001 Avenue of the Americas (3rd Floor) on how restaurants are impacted by the Affordable Care Act with the 2015 regulatory changes and how to stay in compliance. This in-depth seminar will be presented by Todd Bellistri, President and CEO of August Benefits. Attendees should currently work at a restaurant or restaurant group and can include accounting professionals, Human Resources and restaurant owners who would like a better understanding of how the Affordable Care Act affects organizations and what steps need to be taken.

A few topics that will be covered at the seminar include:

  • Updates on the health insurance marketplace, impact of mergers, and reporting requirements.
  • Overview of State Exchanges and benefits of purchasing through an exchange.
  • Review of all employer mandates for full time and seasonal employees, how to calculate hours, and look-back measurement periods.
  • Discuss the notice requirements depending on company size and best practices for how-to distribute information

To register for this event and learn more about the seminar, click here

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The Costs of National Coffee Day

October 1, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Yesterday was National Coffee Day, and in honor of this, many fast casual enterprises offered free coffee to their guests. This pseudo marketing ‘holiday’ (comparable to Doughnut Day or Gummi Worm Day) began in the U.S in 2005 and has been observed every year by chains such as Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonald’s, Starbucks and Krispy Kreme amongst many others. While it is a clear marketing scheme, this year, due to higher coffee prices, the amounts of free cups of joe given away actually cost companies more than last year.

The price of coffee rose significantly this year due to a poor crop in certain growing areas of Brazil that suffered from poor weather. Michelle King, Dunkin’ spokeswoman, mentions that, “Coffee commodities fluctuate, and this year’s offers cost a little bit more than the offers from last year.” However, Dunkin’ did not believe the increased cost of coffee should halt their free coffee campaign as it would be a great way to introduce their new dark roast.

While prices are not as high as they were three years ago when Central America and Colombia suffered from very poor weather conditions, the situation is still not a positive one. Eventhough the International Coffee Organization foresees a coffee shortage over the next couple years, chances are that the marketing opportunity that is available for companies on a ‘holiday’ such as National Coffee Day will continue as it is a great way to gain loyal guests for breakfast which is the most competitive day part in the coffee segment.

To read more about the increased cost of coffee and what it meant for companies on National Coffee Day, click here

Filed Under: Global Market Buzz Tagged With: ,

Brooklyn Smorgasburg and The Flea’s Winter Home

September 29, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Beginning November 8th, Jonathan Butler and Eric Demby, co-founders of the outdoor food courts and markets, will be moving a similar version of The Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg to a 30,000 sq ft space on Dean Street in Crown Heights for the winter. The Dean St space is around the corner from their brand new beer and food hall, Berg’n. The winter market will have a very similar layout to the way it was set up in Williamsburg. Over 100 vendors from The Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg will be present in the space on 1000 Dean Street on weekends starting in November and running through till March 2015.

Commenting on the neighboring Berg’n, Jonathan Butler states, “We wanted to have a business that wasn’t just on weekends and wasn’t reliant on the weather.” Berg’n will have a similar feel in atmosphere as the outdoor markets. Eric Demby states, “I think people really appreciate the way we have kind of creatively transformed the feeling at the outdoor markets, which is impossible to concentrate into a brick-and-mortar space in the literal sense.”

To read more about the Flea and Smorgasburg’s vendors’ new winter home and the new Berg’n beer and food hall, click here

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