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.

🍷 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.

Mauritius-based MJ Holidays selects Influence Society to drive global growth. Influence Society, the digital marketing agency known for its expertise in hospitality branding, has been selected by MJ Holidays, a…

🛅 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.

🎧 DJ booth designs are captivating audiences worldwide. "Unveiled" in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, features a metallic booth in a VIP area. Sydney's "JAM Record Bar" boasts 15,000 vinyls. Valencia's "Oven" uses red and black wood for an oven-like feel. Brooklyn's "Nursery at Public Records" incorporates a shipping container booth. Kyiv's "Bursa Bar" uses dark wood for acoustics. Seattle's "Supernova" centers around an 8-ft disco ball booth. Tokyo's "Koganeyu" converts a bathhouse into an event space. San Francisco's "Side A" combines design and music in a hub.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor, is renowned for his expertise in food trends, particularly in French and Asian cuisines. He joined Nation’s Restaurant News in 1999, after five years in Thailand. His notable accolades include winning the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and serving as IFEC president in 2005. A Tufts University graduate, Thorn studied at Le Cordon Bleu and in China. He wrote entries for the Oxford Encyclopedia in 2012 and the Oxford Companion in 2015.