EYE ON NYC
THE BIG APPLE ON F&B
New York City has always been a place where dreams can come true. That is especially true for New York’s restaurateurs and employees, where people are encouraged to exercise creativity in cuisine and push the boundaries on menu trends. The city’s restaurants are not just centers for innovation, they are central to the health of the overall economy. There are over 20,000 eating and drinking establishments across the five boroughs which account for more than 290,000 jobs, making them one of the largest private employers in the city.
Restaurants: A true magnet
Restaurants provide more than opportunities to New Yorkers, as these outlets attract millions of visitors annually, enticing them to explore new cuisines. Tourists regularly cite going to restaurants as a major reason for visiting New York City and, in 2017, ethnic and Middle Eastern cuisine will be another draw for tourists and New Yorkers alike. There is a growing appetite for ethnic cuisine here, with Mediterranean food consistently ranking among the top 10 most popular ethnic foods in America. According to NRA’S annual ‘What’s Hot’ survey of 1,300 professional chefs that explores food and beverage trends, street food, authentic ethnic cuisine, spices, such as harissa, and curry will be in high demand in the coming year.
The challenges ahead
While NYC continues to offer great opportunities for restaurateurs to embrace innovation and reasons for visitors to come into the city, burdensome regulations threaten the economic vitality of restaurants in the Big Apple. In a city where restaurants already face a high cost of business, the last thing they need are additional taxes, fees and regulations that can make it even harder for them to achieve the American Dream. Thankfully, there is still big opportunity for success in the city’s restaurant industry, especially within burgeoning cuisines. The Wall Street Journal reported, “the number of eating establishments in Brooklyn grew 10 percent to 5,658 at the start of fiscal year 2014, from 5,151 in 2009. Manhattan saw a six percent rise, to 9,654 establishments.” Restaurant growth is being seen in all boroughs and with that development, New Yorkers are expanding their palates. It truly is an exciting time to be in the restaurant industry in New York City and across the United States. With restaurants come a diverse set of opportunities for individual and economic growth.
Oriental fragrances and spices
In recent years, I have worked in Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai and I am amazed to see all the new real estate complexes filled mostly with American retail and restaurant brands, while here in New York, we welcome ethnic cuisines from far away. This is especially true for Middle Eastern flavors. Over the last 20 years, we have been ramping up the flavors of the foods we like best, adding more heat and more fragrances. Combinations of spicy and fragrant are trending strongly. So New Yorkers are becoming increasingly familiar with Middle Eastern spice mixtures, such as za'atar, regional variations of baharat, harissa, ras el hanout, muhammarah and zhug (or schug).
Adaptation to American tastes
What is more interesting is that these spice mixes are being deployed by American chefs to lift the flavors of their own cooking, often without even telling their customers what they are using. For example, if a chef uses cumin or cardamom or nutmeg in a dish, that individual flavor will stand out sharply, and diners pick it up right away. But just a little bit of baharat or zhug can enliven a dish with a symphony of flavors that are difficult to identify individually, but which greatly enhance the dining experience. In fact, we are inventing our own spice variations. A company called New York Shuk, is making a harissa mixture with preserved lemon. Top chefs around the country are buying Middle Eastern spice mixes blended by a company named La Boite.
What's trending
Hummus has exploded in popularity and there is a very trendy chain of 'hummuserias' developing. Additionally, one of the most trending breakfast dishes in America is ‘shakshuka’ and it is moving beyond morning food to an anytime-ofday dish.
Good to keep in mind
We have long had small, typical Middle Eastern restaurants all over New York. But, if opening a new outlet in this market, it would be great to examine what has happened with Indian cuisine, where adventurous chefs and their financial backers are moving upscale with more inventive food and better interior designs.