Revenue Management

🌶 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.

🍿 P.F. Chang's added Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken to its menu in November, featuring lightly battered boneless chicken thigh with five-spice seasoning. Popcorn chicken is on 1.4% of U.S. restaurant menus, a 53% increase in four years, known by 93% of the U.S. population, and 82% have tried it. A Portland, Ore., restaurant is highlighted for its popcorn chicken menu item.

🍴 Overthrow Hospitality operates 11 vegan bars/restaurants including the revamped natural wine bar Soda Club in NYC's East Village, next to amaro bar Amor y Amargo. Mixology lead Sother Teague and executive chef Pedro Allende join COO/wine director Drew Brady in the venture. Inspired by Brady's Sicilian heritage, the menu offers vegan pinsas ($26), pastas ($17-$25), salads ($19-$20), appetizers ($8-$16), and desserts ($14-$16). Featuring over 200 natural/organic wines, the club transitions into a nightclub post-11 p.m., providing cocktails and snacks.

🌮 José Andrés' restaurant portfolio includes locations in Washington, D.C., New York City, Las Vegas, and more. Oyamel, a Mexico City-inspired restaurant, opened its second location on April 21 in New York's Hudson Yards, 21 years after the original in D.C. The 150-seat venue was designed by Rockwell Group, featuring Mexican street festival themes. The menu offers street tacos, shareable plates, and a "Mexican Fiestas" section with large dishes. It serves Mexican classic cocktails and about 80 varieties of agave spirits. José Andrés Group has over 40 concepts, with a new project, Txula, planned for Hudson Yards.