Browsing Tag Michael Kaminer
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10 December 2021 at 07 : 29 AM
The Road Ahead
COVER STORY From robot servers to popular proteins, the trends industry leaders say will dominate 2022. By Michael Kaminer Some in our industry have described 2021 as a roller coaster. Estiator readers have a different take. They’ve told us it’s been more like a Tilt-a-Whirl, bumper cars, and Whack-aMole rolled into one. With that ...
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8 November 2021 at 06 : 06 AM
Strength in Numbers
COVER STORY Greek-founded purchasing co-ops change the game for independent restaurants. By Michael Kaminer Greeks didn’t invent the restaurant purchasing co-op. But Greeks have been pioneers in the industry, launching some of the nation’s most successful purchasing groups for independent restaurateurs. The concept behind purchasing ...
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10 October 2021 at 07 : 16 AM
Diner Chronicles
COVER STORY After a perilous year, owners finally look forward. By Michael Kaminer What a difference a year makes. In August 2020, Estiator profiled three diner owners whose businesses faced existential threats from the pandemic. Today, as vaccines gain ground, in-room dining returns, and customers tiptoe back, diner owners can finally ...
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11 September 2021 at 14 : 32 PM
Power Chefs
COVER STORY Meet three women at the top of their game in the kitchen and beyond. By Michael Kaminer Chef Maria LoiMaria TampakisChristina Xenos It seems almost quaint to bring up gender in our industry. But only a quarter of chefs in the U.S. are female, according to recent data. And as recent reckonings around bad behavior have ...
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11 September 2021 at 14 : 19 PM
Charm City’s Greek Accents
Baltimore’s Greektown faces the future. By Michael Kaminer This is the new face of Baltimore’s Greektown: Oldham Crossing, a luxury townhouse development, opened last year on the site of a vacant warehouse in the neighborhood’s heart. Greektown “has been rediscovered of late for its proximity to major commuter thoroughfares and to ...
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10 July 2021 at 03 : 19 AM
Dining by Design
After COVID-19, how can restaurant design inspire customers? By Michael Kaminer We know how COVID-19 has changed the look of restaurants—spaced-out tables, clear partitions, QR codes on tables, outdoor tents. But what does the pandemic mean for the future of restaurant design? How will we adapt to make patrons feel not just ...
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7 June 2021 at 04 : 24 AM
Menu Options
In the COVID era, the next generation of menus is changing how we serve customers. By Michael Kaminer To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the death of dining out have been greatly exaggerated. Nearly 60% of Americans feel comfortable at restaurants, according to an April survey by data company Morning Consult—and that number keeps ...
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7 May 2021 at 04 : 28 AM
Technology on the Menu
Restaurants go digital to survive the pandemic. By Michael Kaminer A customer gives her order to a server. The server scribbles the order on a pad. The server rips out the page and sticks it in a queue near the kitchen. The cook prepares what he sees on the page. If this episode makes you nostalgic for the way restaurants used to ...
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10 March 2021 at 03 : 13 AM
Franchises to Watch in 2021
IN A PANDEMIC ECONOMY, DO FRANCHISES HAVE AN EDGE? By Michael Kaminer ➽ TO FRANCHISE OR NOT TO FRANCHISE? The question has nagged at many restaurateurs who weigh the costs and benefits of aligning with a regional or national brand. Operating independently means total freedom, unrestricted creativity, growth at your own pace, and a larger ...
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11 February 2021 at 07 : 04 AM
When One Door Closes, Another Door Opens
COVER STORY Greek restaurateurs are well-positioned to take advantage of the pandemic’s silver lining: affordable real estate. By Michael Kaminer By now, the headlines sound familiar: “54% of NY Restaurants Expect to Close in Six Months.” “Restaurant Closings Top 110,000 with Industry in Freefall.” “Chain Restaurants ...
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