What's cooking across the pond?
The NRA Show draws quite an international list of attendees and one of the regulars is Peter Backman, managing director of Horizons, a foodservice research and consulting company based in London. Every year, we sit down for a quick meeting to compare notes about restaurant trends in America and Britain. Here are some of the things I learned during our May 6th chat.
Technology
Tools of the trade: What is your must-have, can't live without, technology?
With all the hubbub about mobile payments and tablet menus, it’s easy to forget that technology, as defined by Webster’s, cuts a broader swath; it’s defined as “the practical application of knowledge, especially in a particular area.”
To generate buzz for the release of its new smartphone app on Oct. 28, Taco Bell went silent on all of its social media channels for one day, replacing its characteristically prolific posts with one disruptive message: “Taco Bell isn’t on Instagram [or Twitter or Facebook], it’s #onlyintheapp.” It was accompanied by a link to download the new app, designed heavily around mobile ordering and payment.
The inaugural NolaLoyola: Live to Eat, a scholarly symposium celebrating the culture of New Orleans, culminated in a candid restaurant discussion that had the audience laughing. Iconic local food figures Leah Chase of Dooky Chase Restaurant, JoAnn Clevenger of Upperline Restaurant, and Ti Martin of Commander's Palace related their experiences with the wit and straightforward charm one expects from New Orleans restaurateurs.