Dear Reader,
As a travel writer, it’s important to stay on top of trends and changes in the travel industry. And, right now, as the weak U.S. dollar is bringing in more foreign visitors, U.S. restaurants are adapting to the change.
Frank Bruni of The New York Times wrote an interesting piece about this recently, so I asked my good friend and fellow writer, Charlie Byrne, to give you a quick review of his report…
If you’re writing about food and/or restaurants in your travel articles any time soon (and you should), you’d do well to read this first. Scroll below.
Have a good weekend!
-- Lori
Lori Allen
Director, AWAI Travel Division
P.S. Former food critic and current travel editor to the Denver Post, Kyle Wagner, gave us some priceless advice for incorporating restaurant recommendations into our travel articles at our food writing workshop this past June in Denver, CO. For all of her practical tips plus a step-by-step guide on breaking into the food writing market, story ideas, and a list of over 60 approachable, food-related publications where you can sell your work quickly and easily, click here.
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How Restaurants (and Diners) Are Reacting to the Struggling Economy
By Charlie Byrne
"If you really want to be sure of that 7:30 p.m. table, ask for it with a French, Spanish, or Italian accent. It will brand you as a potentially bigger spender, the kind helping restaurants outlast a weak dollar and a wobbly Dow."
This advice comes from Frank Bruni of The New York Times, reporting on how restaurants are reacting to the recession.
One noticeable trend: Americans are spending less (tap water instead of bottled water, dining at bars and counters vs. formal settings, no high-end steak and lobster), while splurging foreigners rush to take advantage of favorable exchange rates.
Result? All things being equal, restaurateurs would rather seat a table of Europeans than locals. "I mean, they're just spending. It's Monopoly money to them," said one NYC general manager.
Other notable changes:
Dinner rush used to occur around 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. But outside the U.S., it's is a later-evening, so the peak is moving to 8:30 or 9:00 p.m.
Less expensive ingredients lower the cost of food. Expect to see regular crabmeat instead of jumbo lump. Shiitake instead of morel mushrooms. More starches to fill out the plate.
Menus are featuring more single-digit appetizers and "small plates."
And restaurateurs are offering more mid-range than high-end wines. "All of our wine directors are starting to play this game more aggressively," said Paul Bolles-Beaven of the Danny Meyer group. "People are spending less on wine right now, and they're not spending to impress."
Unless, that is, they're European, adds Bruni.
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