Miscellaneous

🍴 Opa Authentic Greek Cuisine filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the Northern District of California. Assets and liabilities are both listed between $100,000 and $500,000. Five locations—Campbell, Morgan Hill, Santa Clara, San Jose, and Walnut Creek—closed. Co-debtors include CEO Molly Adams and Marcus Adams. Opa started in San Jose in 2008 and expanded to six locations. U.S. bankruptcy filings increased by 11.5% over last year, reaching the highest level since 2010.

🍴 Next month, chef Flynn McGarry will open Cove, a fine dining restaurant in New York’s Hudson Square. McGarry designed Cove's interior, inspired by West Coast modernism, featuring custom cherry and ash wood furniture, and pendant lighting. Cove offers a California-inspired dining experience, blending luxury with a relaxed atmosphere. Custom tableware, created with North American ceramicists, will be sold at McGarry's Gem Home store in Nolita.

🍴 Bret Thorn is a Senior Food & Beverage Editor at Nation's Restaurant News since 1999. He hosts the podcast "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" and was president of IFEC in 2005. He wrote for The New York Sun from 2005-2008 and contributed to the Oxford Encyclopedia in 2012 and 2015. Thorn holds a history BA from Tufts University (1990), studied in China (1988-1989), and graduated from Le Cordon Bleu (1986). He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

📍 Ruby Hotels, founded in 2013 in Germany by Michael Struck, sold to IHG for over $300 million. Now IHG’s 20th brand, Ruby is set to franchise in the U.S. by late 2023, focusing on major urban markets and planning 10 new properties by 2027. Ruby currently operates 20 hotels across Europe, with a presence in cities like Cologne, London, and Vienna. IHG aims for global expansion, targeting over 120 hotels in the next decade and more than 250 in 20 years.

🍷 Murrayshall's restaurant, Eòlas, in Perthshire, received the Notable Wine List Award at the AA Hospitality Awards 2025 after being nominated for the AA Wine Award for Scotland. This accolade honors the skill and passion of the sommelier and culinary teams. Hotel Manager Fiona Pugh praised the team for their dedication to excellence, merging Scottish heritage with modern culinary innovation. This award highlights Eòlas as a top dining destination, offering an exceptional wine experience in Scotland.

🏨 James Thomson, a Scottish hotelier, received the AA Lifetime Achievement Award at the AA Hospitality Awards in London on September 22. Thomson, known for revitalizing historic properties, opened The Witchery in Edinburgh in 1979. He later acquired Prestonfield House in 2003. His charitable efforts, including “Lunch with an Old Bag,” have raised £9 million. The Witchery was named Scotland's AA Best Restaurant with Rooms and the world's “most romantic hotel” by Big 7 Travel.

🏝️ MJ Holidays partners with Influence Society to expand internationally. Founded in 2017, MJ Holidays offers luxury villa rentals in Mauritius, focusing on bespoke experiences, with properties in Rivière Noire, Grand-Gaube, and Tamarin. The collaboration aims to enhance digital presence and brand messaging across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Initial steps include a digital audit and tailored campaigns. MJ Holidays highlights comfort and personalized service, hosting up to 10 guests per villa.

🚢 Riverside Luxury Cruises on the Danube, Mozart ship, offers flexible travel with embarkation at any port in Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary. Guests can choose 3/4-night trips or 2/3-week journeys, appealing to diverse nationalities. With a 2:1 guest-staff ratio, operations remain smooth despite variable schedules. Debuting in 2023, the ship features opulent interiors and a collapsible top deck. Experiences include small-group excursions with local partners, emphasizing exclusivity.

🛅 Check-in processes at hotels can be frustrating. Guests often face lengthy waits without clear reasons and are required to provide information that the hotel already has. Repeated requests for credit card details for deposits create distrust. The initial experience becomes overwhelming with excessive information delivered at once. Ideal check-ins should take under 60 seconds, using pre-filled forms and digital keys when possible, enhancing the feeling of being welcomed rather than processed.

🏠 A few days ago, Texas: After a dozen work trips this year, the writer returns home to his family. He shares a heartfelt moment with his children, Lucas and Ezra, emphasizing "home" as a sense of belonging rather than a place. The article discusses the superficial connections in modern life and the importance of building genuine relationships. Through mutual understanding and kindness, true hospitality can be achieved, spreading the feeling of belonging to others.