Kevin Gray - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers - Page 8

3 min

Here’s how independent restaurants are using AI to help their businesses

🤖 AI is becoming increasingly common in multiple industries, including hospitality, where up to 95% of independent, full-service restaurants utilize it for operations such as inventory management and menu optimization—each used by 35% of respondents. Nikky Phinyawatana of Asian Mint in Dallas-Fort Worth uses ChatGPT for creative and strategic support, including brainstorming menu items and promotions like the “longevity duck khao soi” for Lunar New Year. Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco employs Panso, an all-in-one hospitality management system with AI, for event sales and marketing, while Casa Gianna in Miami uses AI-powered Craftable for inventory and purchasing insights. The 2024 National Restaurant Show in Chicago highlighted the potential of AI like ChatGPT as a cost-effective alternative to consulting services.

3 min

The team behind high-earning Mila just opened Claudie, a French Mediterranean restaurant in Miami

🏠 Claudie, a restaurant inspired by the French Riviera, opened on February 7 in Miami's Brickell neighborhood. The establishment is part of Riviera Dining Group, which also owns Mila, the second highest-grossing independent restaurant last year, and Casa Neos. Claudie's design includes a 2,470-square-foot terrace seating 104 guests and an interior of over 2,400 square feet seating 134. The menu features French Riviera cuisine, with an executive team from the South of France. Riviera Dining Group plans to expand with Noora, a new rooftop restaurant slated to open later this year, and additional projects in Miami and global markets within the next two years.

4 min

Texas barbecue goes global, as restaurants incorporate flavors from Egypt, Ethiopia, Iraq, and more

🔥 Texas barbecue's popularity has led to craft joints earning Michelin recognition. Kafi BBQ in Irving, less than three months old, offers a halal, wagyu beef-centered menu, drawing on founder Salahodeen Abdul-Kafi's six years of experience after purchasing a Traeger smoker. KG BBQ in Austin, started by Kareem El-Ghayesh who left finance in Cairo for Texas in 2016, blends North African and Middle Eastern flavors with Texan tradition, earning a James Beard semifinalist nod and Bib Gourmand in Michelin Guide's recent Texas expansion. Texas Monthly’s top-ranked Goldee’s in Fort Worth serves smoked Lao sausage, while Fort Worth's Sabar and Arlington's Smoke’N Ash BBQ blend Pakistani and Ethiopian influences, respectively. Blood Bros. in Houston and other statewide restaurants incorporate Asian, Cajun, and Mexican flavors. These pitmasters view barbecue as a cultural bridge, with plans to create community hubs celebrating food, art, and culture.

2 min

La Grande Boucherie is now open in Miami, serving up Parisian brasserie food and vibes

🍴 La Grande Boucherie opened in Manhattan in 2020 and expanded with Miami, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. locations recently. The Miami branch occupies a 13,000 square foot space in an Art Deco building dating back to 1938, seating 450 guests. Executive Chef Leonardo Pablo oversees a menu including French bistro fare, with options like Certified Japanese A5 wagyu. Emil Stefkov, founder of The Group Hospitality, notes Miami's cultural diversity as a key expansion factor. The company plans more openings in 2025.

4 min

Here’s how bartenders are using cilantro in cocktails

🍸 The early 2000s cocktail renaissance continues, with bartenders using savory ingredients like cilantro in drinks. Empirical Spirits in Brooklyn, N.Y., launched a cilantro spirit last fall with 38% alcohol volume, made from French wheat, cilantro stems and leaves, lime, and tomatillo. Lolita in New York City offers the No Güey using Empirical’s cilantro spirit and sotol. Dear Strangers, which opened in November in Greenwich Village, features cilantro in the Star Treatment cocktail. The trend extends to international locations like NoMad London with their best-selling Sergeant Pepper cocktail and Licorería Limantour in Mexico City with an Al Pastor Margarita. Despite cilantro's divisive taste, its use in cocktails is growing.

3 min

New York chef Jiho Kim opens Joomak, a retooled version of his Michelin-starred Joomak Banjum

🍴 Joomak Banjum opened in 2021 in NYC’s Koreatown, gained acclaim and a Michelin star in 2022, but closed in spring 2024 due to high rent. Chef Jiho Kim reopened Joomak on January 29 at Maison Hudson in the West Village, featuring a 27-seat space designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen. The restaurant offers a $280 eight-course tasting menu and a $250 vegetarian option, with dishes like osetra caviar and Peking-style duck breast. An à la carte menu is planned.

3 min

Dallas-based HG Sply Co. updated its menu with macronutrient counts and cleaner ingredients

🍔 In 2018, the FDA required restaurant chains with 20+ units to display calorie counts on menus, but not macronutrients. Dallas-based HG Sply Co., with four units, has voluntarily added transparent calorie and macro counts on its new menu. Sameer Patel, co-CEO of parent company UNCO, inspired the health-focused menu revamp after his lymphoma diagnosis in early 2024. Partnering with Texas Women's University nutrition students and sourcing sustainable ingredients, the company reworked nearly its entire menu, removing seed oils and reducing added sugars. The new kale Caesar salad has 29 fewer grams of fat and 250 fewer calories, while the fries are now water-blanched, steamed, and fried for a lighter finish. Even cocktails use natural sweeteners, with many under 120 calories. Patel emphasizes the company's belief in fueling life with food.

3 min

Lao chefs are opening more restaurants as the cuisine’s visibility increases across the country

🍝 The Lao Food Movement, started by Chef Seng Luangrath in 2013, catalyzed the rise of Lao cuisine's popularity in the U.S. Chef Jeff Chanchaleune, a two-time James Beard finalist, opened Ma Der Lao Kitchen in 2021 and Bar Sen on February 4 in Oklahoma City. Lao'd Bar in Austin was a James Beard Award semifinalist for best new restaurant. These establishments join others in Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, Nashville, and more, serving both traditional and fusion dishes. Ma Der and Bar Sen, both seating 48, offer Lao specialties in Oklahoma City's Plaza District. Ma Der made The New York Times’ 50 best restaurants list in 2022 and was recognized by Bon Appetit.

3 min

Chef Aaron Bludorn partnered with Bunkhouse Hotels to open Perseid in Houston

🏡 Bunkhouse Hotels opens its first property in Houston, the 71-room Hotel Saint Augustine, featuring the flagship restaurant Perseid, led by Chef Aaron Bludorn, who previously helmed Café Boulud in NYC. Perseid opened on January 16 and offers a 118-seat bistro with Texas Gulf Coast and French-inspired cuisine, serving meals throughout the day and adding brunch on weekends. The group also plans to open Hotel Daphne in Houston's Museum District in fall, with 49 rooms and a new Jo's Coffee location targeted for winter 2025.

3 min

RosaNegra opens in Miami, with a Latin American menu and a speakeasy bar

🍴 Grupo RosaNegra, renowned for its dynamic dining locations in Mexico, opened RosaNegra Miami on December 4, marking its first U.S. venture at Dua Miami, Autograph Collection Hotel. CEO Eduardo Beaven envisions Miami's cultural and culinary diversity as a perfect match for the group's bold Latin flavors and high-energy dining experiences. RosaNegra Miami spans 13,600 square feet, combining indoor space and a patio, offering a speakeasy-style bar and live entertainment aligned with Miami's nightlife. Executive Chef Emiliano Galindo presents a Latin American menu, with USDA Prime and Australian wagyu steaks and exclusive Miami dishes. Beverages include spirits from across Latin America and an extensive Mexican wine selection. Plans for expanding Grupo RosaNegra's presence in Miami and other markets are underway.

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