Browsing Tag Michael Kaminer
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11 September 2021 at 14 : 19 PM
Charm City’s Greek Accents
Baltimore’s Greektown faces the future. By Michael Kaminer This is the new face of Baltimore’s Greektown: Oldham Crossing, a luxury townhouse development, opened last year on the site of a vacant warehouse in the neighborhood’s heart. Greektown “has been rediscovered of late for its proximity to major commuter thoroughfares and to ...
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10 July 2021 at 03 : 19 AM
Dining by Design
After COVID-19, how can restaurant design inspire customers? By Michael Kaminer We know how COVID-19 has changed the look of restaurants—spaced-out tables, clear partitions, QR codes on tables, outdoor tents. But what does the pandemic mean for the future of restaurant design? How will we adapt to make patrons feel not just ...
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7 June 2021 at 04 : 24 AM
Menu Options
In the COVID era, the next generation of menus is changing how we serve customers. By Michael Kaminer To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the death of dining out have been greatly exaggerated. Nearly 60% of Americans feel comfortable at restaurants, according to an April survey by data company Morning Consult—and that number keeps ...
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7 May 2021 at 04 : 28 AM
Technology on the Menu
Restaurants go digital to survive the pandemic. By Michael Kaminer A customer gives her order to a server. The server scribbles the order on a pad. The server rips out the page and sticks it in a queue near the kitchen. The cook prepares what he sees on the page. If this episode makes you nostalgic for the way restaurants used to ...
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10 March 2021 at 03 : 13 AM
Franchises to Watch in 2021
IN A PANDEMIC ECONOMY, DO FRANCHISES HAVE AN EDGE? By Michael Kaminer ➽ TO FRANCHISE OR NOT TO FRANCHISE? The question has nagged at many restaurateurs who weigh the costs and benefits of aligning with a regional or national brand. Operating independently means total freedom, unrestricted creativity, growth at your own pace, and a larger ...
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11 February 2021 at 07 : 04 AM
When One Door Closes, Another Door Opens
COVER STORY Greek restaurateurs are well-positioned to take advantage of the pandemic’s silver lining: affordable real estate. By Michael Kaminer By now, the headlines sound familiar: “54% of NY Restaurants Expect to Close in Six Months.” “Restaurant Closings Top 110,000 with Industry in Freefall.” “Chain Restaurants ...
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10 January 2021 at 08 : 50 AM
Starting Over
COVER STORY After a tumultuous year, our industry insiders preview 2021. By Michael Kaminer EVEN OUR WILDEST predictions couldn’t have captured what an insane year 2020 turned out to be. Now it’s time to look forward. What will our industry look like in 2021? How will customers behave? What will they want? Will the economy bounce back—or ...
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13 December 2020 at 07 : 19 AM
Stratis Morfogen Has Big Plans
FEATURE With ambitious new restaurants, a cookbook, and a frozen-food line, the entrepreneur is making the pandemic a time of opportunity. By Michael Kaminer Stratis Morfogen does not think small. His Brooklyn Chop House became a glitterati destination for its splurgy Asian-steakhouse fusion menu and 5,000-square-foot room in New York’s ...
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13 December 2020 at 07 : 37 AM
Kalos Irthate, Y’all!
In the midst of the pandemic, Alabama’s long-standing Greek-owned restaurants gain national recognition. By Michael Kaminer When Conde Nast Traveler spotlighted Greek cuisine as Alabama’s signature food in September, it took some readers by surprise. Locals know the role Greeks have played in their state’s culinary heritage, but it may be ...
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11 November 2020 at 11 : 05 AM
Divided We Dine
FEATURE Steve Theofanous launches Social D Partitions to help restaurants welcome back diners safely. By Michael Kaminer TUCKED INTO THE Center for Disease Control’s recent Considerations for Restaurants and Bars—guidelines to help hospitality businesses operate safely—is a recommendation about Physical Barriers and Guides. “Install ...
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