Revenue Management

🍝 Food delivery in Asia-Pacific rose during COVID-19 and continues to thrive due to technology and smartphones. Popular providers are Food Panda, Deliveroo, Pop Meals, Swiggy, Uber Eats, and Zomato. A GlobalData survey indicates a high percentage of consumers prefer delivery services.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, hosts podcast "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn." He wrote for The New York Sun (2005-2008) and spent five years in Thailand as a journalist for Manager magazine and Asia Times newspaper. With a BA from Tufts University and culinary training at Le Cordon Bleu Paris, Thorn was inducted into Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014. His expertise spans food and beverage trends, French cuisine, Asian cuisine, and restaurant operations. Contact him at [email protected] or through social media on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (@foodwriterdiary), and Instagram (@foodwriterdiary).

🍴 III Forks, established in Dallas in 1998, moved from its original 20,000 square foot location to a 6,000 square foot space in Addison on April 8. The relocation to Village on the Parkway represents a shift towards a luxury boutique-inspired design by Harrison, featuring a wine display with over 1,200 bottles. Under President Curtis Osmond, the steakhouse aims for a more intimate experience with private dining resembling a speakeasy. The menu, managed by Chef-Proprietor Chris Vogeli, now includes more beef varieties, such as 75-day dry-aged steak, American wagyu from Snake River Farms, and A5 wagyu from Miyazaki, Japan. Lighter options and weekly fish specials are also highlighted. The Addison model will guide future III Forks expansions in Texas and neighboring states.

🌶 Mango chile, a blend of tropical fruit and fiery spice, is gaining popularity, especially when mixed with habanero peppers. Despite habaneros' spiciness, they're used sparingly for a broad appeal. Mango chile has seen a 61% increase on U.S. menus (predominantly casual dining and independent restaurants) in four years, although it's present on less than 1% of menus. Datassential reports 55% of Americans are aware of mango chile, and 31% have tried it.

📊 Robert Mandelbaum, Research Director at CBRE Hotels, discusses the importance of analyzing profit and loss (P&L) statements in a podcast episode released on May 5, 2025. The insights are aimed at enhancing performance and career growth within the hospitality industry. The episode is featured on the Hospitality Daily Podcast and can be accessed at https://podcast.hospitalitydaily.com/robert-mandelbaum-pl-statements/.

📖 At the St. Pancras Hotel, The Booking Office 1869 unveils its Spring Menu with fresh seasonal ingredients, available until June 30th. Signature dishes include Dorset Crab, heritage beetroot, Cacio e Pepe tortellini, miso-glazed aubergine, and poached Yorkshire rhubarb with prices starting from £6. Lunch service runs from 12pm-3pm, and dinner from 5pm-10pm.

🏠 Chef David Everitt-Matthias has been active for 38 years, winning acclaim since 1987. His restaurant, Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham, offers a seasonally driven and locally sourced menu, starting from £43 for two courses and £50 for three courses. The Telegraph listed it as one of the 15 best value Michelin star restaurants. Cheltenham hosts festivals including the Jazz Festival in early May, the Music Festival in July, and the Literature Festival in October.

🍷 Located in Singapore's Flower Dome, Marguerite offers a non-alcoholic temperance option that mimics traditional wine pairings. Chef-Patron Michael Wilson oversees the creation of these beverages, requiring 3 days to 2 weeks for juice clarification and fermentation. Examples include a Chardonnay-like beverage made from caramelised Gala apples, oak chips, and verjuice to pair with Patagonian toothfish, and a spicy Cabernet-style juice for Challans duck. Non-alcoholic Sauvignon Blanc is made from Granny Smith apple juice, shiso, hay infusion, and filtering, complementing lettuce gazpacho with king crab. These Michelin-starred establishments showcase non-alcoholic pairings as an integral part of fine dining's future.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor, joined Nation's Restaurant News in 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality in 2016. He hosted "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast and wrote "Kitchen Dish" for The New York Sun (2005-2008). A Tufts University magna cum laude graduate, Phi Beta Kappa member, and Le Cordon Bleu trained, Thorn won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and became a Disciples d'Escoffier member in 2014. Email: [email protected] Social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

🍳 Chris Brown, founder of World Famous, a Miami-based brand with five food trucks and four traditional locations, reversed the common trend by starting with a brick-and-mortar restaurant before expanding to food trucks. Specializing in unique egg rolls influenced by diverse international cuisines, Brown initially offered classic American comfort food. His culinary pivot to food trucks was driven by mobility and the desire to innovate, supported by a strong focus on social media marketing and customer engagement through live kitchen streams and interactive technology like Ring doorbells at his establishments.