NEW YORK (AP) – Emerging restaurants, many started as disruptive measures by troubled chefs and homeowners, could hold power as consumers continue to embrace takeaway and delivery food and the delta variant threatens of making food with fewer options.
Emerging restaurants can take many forms, from a ramen maker who appears only one night in an established bar or restaurant, to a taco maker who uses unused space to temporarily house diners, to a chef who offers meatballs for delivery only.
Cheaper in operation than regular restaurants, as they have less overhead and staff costs, pop-ups allow chefs and owners to continue working and making a living during the first part of the pandemic when dining halls were closed and ‘economy was shaking. They have helped generate buzz in existing restaurants that host them. And some have even been transformed into new permanent businesses.
Now, as reopenings across the country are threatened by an increase in COVID-19 cases, pop-up creators and hosts are wondering, “What’s going on?”
The catering industry has been one of the hardest hit during the pandemic. There is still a fall of 1 million jobs compared to the pre-pandemic employment level of 12.3 million. Restaurant sales in 2020 amounted to $ 659 million, a decline of $ 240 million from projected levels, according to the National Federation of Restaurants. Sales rebounded this year as the economy recovered and restrictions were lifted, but now some economists are picking up expectations of U.S. economic growth, in part because they expect fewer people to eat.
“2021 is certainly a year of transition for the restaurant industry,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research at the National Restaurant Federation. “The industry continues to be substantially challenged by the COVID situation.”
The flexibility of the delivery and delivery model helped Alex Thaboua meet these challenges. Thaboua is co-owner of Electric Burrito, which began as a pop-up at New York’s Mister Paradise Bar in 2020. A permanent location opened in May and focuses on removal and delivery, so even if there is another blockage, the restaurant will be able to operate, he said.
“This flexibility was something we found very important during our emerging stages, when the world was blocked and strong restrictions were being imposed on companies,” he said. “We have designed our operations so that we can continue to operate with a thin team, with all the security precautions taken, to be able to serve guests in both tasks and delivery capacity.”
Hathorne, a Nashville restaurant, has hosted nearly ten pop-ups with area chefs since the pandemic began. For pop-ups, it’s a way to expose yourself and gain access to a full kitchen. For Hathorne, it’s a way to fill seats on nights that would normally be empty. Since it reopened for in-person dinner in October, the restaurant is only open Wednesday through Saturday.
“We knew that when we reopened, we couldn’t be open six or seven days a week because the staff and business wouldn’t be there,” said John Stephenson, owner of Hathorne. “I knew I wanted to use the space.”
A Nashville chef for decades, Stephenson knew several chefs who tried to stay afloat during the pandemic with projects such as creating takeaway dinners or setting up food trucks, he said.
The first pop-up window in Hathorne began in October, with a Mexican theme by Julio Hernandez centered around his homemade tortilla. It was a success and more pop-ups followed. Hathorne currently hosts Michael Hanna’s focaccia-based pizza company every Sunday, St. Vito Focacciaria.
Hanna and her staff work and “get people in our doors,” Stephenson says. The agreement with St. Vito is long-term, so he hired Hanna as a chef. Hanna receives a percentage of Sunday sales; Hathorne pays for all products and labor.
Stephenson said he plans to continue to have pop-ups even after the pandemic dwindles instead of reopening full-time.
Pop-ups can be a way to attract attention for new projects. William Eick bought a building to start his own restaurant earlier this year, but initially had trouble finding investors.
“Most people were worried about getting involved in restaurants during the pandemic,” he said. “So we had to be creative. I thought that if we could make a pop-up, we could allocate the profits and profits to the construction of the restaurant. “
Naegi started in May, a pop-up window serving fried chicken sandwiches from a window in the building she bought. The pop-up window helped unveil the permanent restaurant, Matsu, a more traditional Japanese restaurant with a tasting menu, which will open in a few weeks.
“It helped raise awareness a lot, it helped start spreading word of mouth more than we ever thought it would,” he said. He doesn’t expect another closure to arrive in Oceanside, California, but if he does, Naegi will continue to operate, he said.
For Marisa Iocco, who co-owns the Italian restaurant Spiga Ristorante in Needham, Massachusetts, a pop-up was a way to stay positive during the pandemic. It will open in April 2021 in Providence, RI. Serves only meatballs and takeaway only.
“During the pandemic it was very difficult to survive,” he said. Meatballs, which are also offered as snacks at Spiga, are created in the kitchen of its main restaurant and finished in a Providence kitchen, which has a staff of three.
He is considering a brick-and-mortar location in Providence and another delivery-only location in Boston and does not expect growing cases or future blockades to change those plans. But more than anything, creating something new during the pandemic gave him a “vitamin B12 shot” of energy.
“It really helps maintain your positive mood,” he said.