Browsing Tag Maria Benardis
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6 April 2020 at 05 : 26 AM
Greek from Greece Raises the Bar
COVER STORY The Greek-sourced bakery-café franchise sets its sights on a national footprint. BY MARIA BENARDIS THE MARKET HAS BEEN FLOODED with fast-casual concepts over the course of the past five or ten years. Many adopt the Chipotle model, allowing guests to build their pita wraps or bowls as they pass along a line of ingredients, and ...
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6 April 2020 at 05 : 35 AM
Mama Jo’s: The Breakfast Cart That Conquered NYC
A conversation with street-food icon Joanna Despas. BY MARIA BENARDIS JOANNA DESPAS, better known as Mama Jo to her customers, has been cooking up a breakfast storm from her cart on the corner of 47th Street and Park Avenue in New York City for more than 35 years. Hers was one of the first breakfast carts in the city, and through the ...
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9 February 2020 at 11 : 33 AM
Greek on the Go
COVER STORY Food trucks appeal to restaurateurs and foodies alike, with their lower startup costs and trendy cuisine, and they continue to grow in popularity. Greek concepts have long been a part of the game. BY MARIA BENARDIS Photography by Amelia Ingraham ONCE THE BANE OF THE CULINARY WORLD, food trucks in the last decade have gone ...
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9 February 2020 at 11 : 21 AM
A Snack that Gives Back
Luv Michael helps people on the autism spectrum to pursue culinary dreams. FEATURE BY MARIA BENARDIS For people on the autism spectrum, finding a job is often a challenge. Luv Michael, a nonprofit company inspired by a young Greek American boy, is doing its best to change that, producing a delicious granola snack while giving meaning and gainful ...
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18 January 2020 at 09 : 39 AM
What Restaurants Will Look Like This Year – And Beyond?
INDUSTRY TRENDS By Maria Benardis The trend-driven nature of our business means that restaurateurs are often forced to look up from their long to-do lists and take a pulse on what’s happening in the industry. For those who don’t have the time to do their own research, Estiator rounded up the current and foreseeable future trends that will make ...
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18 January 2020 at 09 : 19 AM
Two for Lunch with Dimitrios Mantzouranis
It’s very much like the Greek way of life. Having a higher purpose—the ‘why’ of what drives you—is key to living a happier life and being engaged at work. Two for Lunch with Dimitrios Mantzouranis A conversation with the New York Grand Hyatt’s assistant food and beverage director. BY MARIA BENARDIS Dimitrios Mantzouranis is my ...
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14 December 2019 at 15 : 13 PM
For the Love of Diners
Raquel and Louis Gritsipis Classic New York City eateries preserve a fragment of American culture. By Maria Benardis Growing up in Australia, I watched many American television shows (such as Seinfeld and Happy Days) where diners were featured prominently. Their portrayal in American pop culture conjured images of a happy place where ...
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14 December 2019 at 15 : 56 PM
A Woman’s Place is in the (Restaurant) Kitchen
COVER STORY How Greek women chefs are changing the culinary landscape. By Maria Benardis It’s ironic that, historically, women have been told their place is in the kitchen, yet when you take a look at the restaurant industry, it has been long dominated by male chefs. So much so that Bloomberg News recently observed that it’s ...
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7 November 2019 at 07 : 40 AM
Feature: Year – End: Tax Tips
Strategies for your restaurant business. By Maria Benardis It’s nearly that time of the year—tax time. Most of us hardly look forward to it. According to a 2018 survey released by TaxSlayer, 52 percent of taxpayers agree that the filing process is stressful. When asked to name the most difficult part of the process, taxpayers cited ...
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7 November 2019 at 07 : 28 AM
The Plant-Based Revolution Has Arrived
COVER STORY Get to know this emerging trend that seems here to stay. By Maria Benardis ACCORDING TO INDUSTRY experts, plant-based foods have become so popular that they are a growth engine helping to drive the entire food industry. Supermarkets like Whole Foods Market devote an increasing amount of shelf space to plant-based alternatives for ...
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