Financing
How to find lease deals now
By the numbers, for restaurants looking for affordable real estate, 2012 ought to be the best of times. In the retail sector, vacancy rates are still high, by historical standards, and rents are still low.
Consumer Trends
Comfort reigns
Among the items listed within CNN’s American Food: The 50 Greatest Dishes, the American comfort food landscape is spelled out in popular food items, ranging from a full Thanksgiving dinner to a side of tater tots; from Delmonico’s Steak to California Roll; from Chicago-Style Pizza to Barbecue Ribs; and everything in between. It is obvious reading through this list that although health is on the mind of consumers everywhere, comfort is still king.
When you take three Iron Chefs out of Kitchen Stadium and place them before a live audience of avid listeners, they are very willing to forget their TV rivalry and battle scars. That was quite evident when Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto and Jose Garces traded quips on a Times Talk panel during the TV Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival on October 9.
Starting this weekend, thousands of couples will be donning their best attire, heading to their favorite restaurants and racking up hefty bills in celebration of Valentine’s Day. OpenTable, an online provider of free, real-time restaurant reservations, compiled a report on this year’s Valentine’s Day trends, keeping operators prepped and ready for the rush.