Market Trends

🍽 Rake, after an incubation at The Gun in Hackney, starts a long-term residency at The Compton Arms, Highbury on January 9, 2025. Three chefs with 30 years combined experience, formerly of Quo Vadis and BRAT, focus on British cookery, whole beast butchery, and sustainable Cornish fish. The menu features British classics with a twist like the braised squid beef and ale pie. On Arsenal match days, a Cumberland sausage hotdog is served. Sundays offer roasts with traditional sides and British desserts like Treacle tart.

💸 Quick-service restaurants (QSRs) have been losing traffic for over a year due to high menu prices, with inflation in the limited-service sector outpacing the general Consumer Price Index. The 2024 QSR Reputation Ranking by Chatmeter shows customer service issues on the rise: mistakes in orders (+7%), negative staff attitudes (+22%), and manager behavior (+15%). Slow service complaints increased by 8.5%, particularly from digital customers, with "online" mentioned in 24.5% of reviews and "mobile" in 52%. Despite a 19% increase in customer service complaints, pricing issues are still significant, with "overpriced" mentions up by 43% year-over-year. Chick-fil-A leads in overall reputation, followed by Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, and Arby’s, while KFC, Pizza Hut, Papa Johns, Jimmy John’s, and Subway rank lowest out of 25. Chatmeter analyzed Google Reviews of 100 locations per restaurant using AI sentiment analysis.

🍝 Mall visits, including indoor malls, open-air shopping centers, and outlet malls, are on the rise, with Q1 2024 visits to open-air centers surpassing 2019 levels for the first time post-pandemic. Data from Yelp shows a 7% growth in restaurant concepts in malls from 2019 to 2024, with bubble tea store numbers shooting up by 113%. Top mall food brands by consumer interest include Cheesecake Factory, Din Tai Fung, and BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse. Other growing food categories are waffles (up 77%), vegan food (54%), and Filipino food (36%).

🥘 Chef Jay Kumar of Lore in Brooklyn, N.Y., creates classic dosas made from a fermented rice and lentil batter with fenugreek, offering a vegan, gluten-free, high-protein meal. Dosas, with a 15% increase on appetizer menus, are on nearly 1% of menus. Lore serves masala dosas and uttapam with a Swiss-inspired mushroom ragout. Tapori, opening in Washington D.C. in January, will feature dosas with innovative fillings like spiced potato and cheese, and curried crab. Dosas are now popular in both South and North India and in Pakistan.

💸 Debunking common misconceptions about Revenue Management Systems (RMS), key facts reveal that: 1) perceived high costs are offset by increased revenue and efficiency, 2) modern RMS offer advanced features like real-time pricing and integration with Property Management Systems, 3) implementation is quick with user-friendly interfaces, 4) RMS benefits small properties by optimizing pricing, 5) they require minimal expert oversight, 6) travelers accept dynamic pricing, 7) training is minimal and support is available, 8) RMS reduces staff workload. RMS empowers all property sizes in a competitive market.

🎉 Broken Shaker, a Miami Beach oasis operated by Authentic Hospitality, embodies tropical nostalgia with its Pan-Latin and Caribbean menu and refreshing cocktails. Launched as a pop-up in 2012, it now has locations in Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City. In 2024, industry veterans Matt Kliegman, Carlos Quirarte, and Matthew Charles revitalized the venue. Open 4pm–12am Sunday to Wednesday and until 1am Thursday to Saturday, it features a revamped menu by Michelin-Starred chefs Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske Valtierra. The design by Melissa Bowers combines mid-century furniture with lush greenery. Authentic Hospitality runs six NYC venues while Freehand Hotels, acquired by Queensgate Investments in 2019, offers unique accommodations in vibrant cities.

💻 Team from The Hoxton, Downtown LA, discusses building high-performing hotel teams, mentorship, and growth culture. General Manager Kara Bartelt, Director of Engineering Michael Lopez, and Engineer Stephen Burrell share strategies on empowering teams, fostering future leaders, and blending technical skills with emotional intelligence for guest experiences. The podcast episode aired on Nov. 27, 2024, providing insights for hotel management and talent development. Roomza sponsors, offering free Hotel Personalization Starter Kits featuring Dyson and Theragun.

🍽 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality since 2016, previously wrote for The New York Sun (2005-2008), Asia Times, and Manager magazine in Thailand. He graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University in 1990 and studied at Le Cordon Bleu in 1986. Thorn won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award, was president of IFEC in 2005, and was inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014. Contact: [email protected]