Retailers Are Adding Restaurants in Bid for More Shoppers

Would you like a salad with that shirt? In what seems an interesting return to the lunch counters and in-store dining so popular in the 1900s, retailers are adding restaurants to their outlets to capture more shoppers.

Next month in Manhattan, Tommy Bahama will add a restaurant to their flagship store.

Urban Outfitters serves ethnic cuisines to match its eclectic styles at its store in Westport, Connecticut.

J.C. Penney Co. plans to add juice bars and coffee shops.

Unique to the Tommy Bahama model, is that they’ve chosen to run the restaurants themselves, as opposed to license them.

Read the full article at Businessweek.com

Latin-themed restaurants update their menu with national trends

There is so much popularity around Latin cuisine– from fast casual to fine dining. Now, many of these restaurants are incorporating other trends into their summer menu, from authenticity to superfoods and better-for-you ingredients.
For example, Chevy Tex Mex has updated their kid’s menu to offer Chicken Fajita served with carrots, celery sticks and apple wedges and water for beverage in addition to many other healthy options

Realtors in New York City open their own restaurants

Its the age of the new kind of restaurateur. Realtors see this opportunity as a way to boost
their bottom line and meet new clients to expand their existing circle in addition to
community engagement.
Some realtor-owned restaurants in New York City include Ciao Bella, Tre Otto, Taproom No. 307 and more

Haven’s Kitchen August Supper Club on Tuesday, August 14th

This month Haven’s Kitchen welcomes Seamus Mullen, Hero Food author and Chef and Owner of Tertulia, and Chef Lior Lev Sercarz, Proprietor of La Boîte á Epice. An evening that will start with cocktails, canapés, and conversation in the teaching kitchen. After informative conversations, you’ll enjoy an intimate dining room for a heroically delicious, spiced-to-perfection dinner served with hand-selected wine pairings.
Get your tickets now

Restaurants increase traffic with more units

The NPD Group, a NY-based market research firm, highlights that the total number of restaurant units increased by 2,872 in a 12-month period ending in March 31, 2012. The increased units has given the restaurant industry a 1% increase in traffic and a 2% increase in spending.
How are you optimizing your space for your guests?

An interview with Ronald M. Shaich of Panera Bread

Ronald M. Shaich of Panera Bread says good companies flex two kinds of muscles — a delivery muscle to accomplish its work, and the discovery muscle of innovation in a recent interview with The New York Times. Mr. Shaich discusses how he’s able to maintain the company culture in light of growth and expansion by providing examples. He has a great insight on the food business which can be useful to any entrepreneur or small business owner.
What lessons would you take from this interview for your food enterprise?

Murray’s Cheese Bar opens this week in the West Villaage

Opening three doors down from the mothership location, Murray’s Cheese Bar will offer everything that is “cheesy” in a restaurant-like setting. Chef fromager Tia Keenan spearheads the 56-seater space’s menu.
Murray’s Cheese Bar is located at 264 Bleecker Street towards the corner of Morton Street

Food Bank for NYC & the Mario Batali Foundation launches Community Cookshop

Last week, the Food Bank for NYC and the Mario Batali Foundation launched a program called Community Cookshop to offer hands-on classes about nutrition education. The program is available to low-income New Yorkers and will run until August 17th.
Using Mario Batali’s recipes, the classes will show people how to maximize their budget while preparing a nutritious meal

Restaurant job growth surpasses national job growth rates

The National Restaurant Association reports that in one year (June 2011 – June 2012), the restaurant industry is outpacing the national job growth rate of 1.3 percent with a rate 2.7 percent. This is huge in national economic recovery efforts. Since 2010, the restaurant industry has added more than 575,000 jobs and maintains 10% of the total U.S. workforce.
20 percent of restaurant operators are planning to increase staffing for the second half of 2012

QSR Magazine predicts 5 food trends to talk about in 2017

QSR Magazine notes that today’s consumer is looking for something different and unique in flavor which is not surprising. Just in New York City alone, there has been a big boom in Asian and Mediterranean fast casual enterprises. In 2017, it’s expected to see trends around the Eco-Burger for meat-conscious eaters, National Asian concepts, Juicing- with a focus on Starbucks’ Evolution Fresh, Foreign-based brands in America, and more Build-Your-Own-Everything.