THE DISH: ‘MORE DEALS HEADING YOUR WAY’
By Jim Duncan
COVID 19’s long-term effect on the restaurant business is clearing up. Revised numbers from the National Restaurant Association (NRA) now put the death toll at 90,000 restaurants. Victor Fernandez, Black Box Intelligence’s VP for Insights and Knowledge, said quick-service restaurants and fast casuals held their own better than most full-service eateries, but they, too, feel economic sluggishness now.
Fernandez said most mid-priced family concepts and casual-dining restaurants have fared the worst compared to the grab-and-go spots.
“You might not go to Chili’s but may pick up from Chipotle,” he said.
The way restaurants are coping with the pandemic aftermath and with four years of inflation changed the last six months. McDonald’s gave in to customer defections and, after five years, finally tried to match Wendy’s successful $5 meal deal. Even Starbuck’s, long opposed to any kind of discounts, gave in. “50% off a drink. It’s on,” Starbucks said in an email to customers. “Keep checking the app all summer for more deals heading your way.” Keep track of new bargains in our Daily Umbrella column www.thedailyumbrella.com.
David Portalatin, Senior VP and Food Adviser at marketing analysis giant Circana, told the NRA that burger, pizza and taco chains have performed well, but a new crop of chicken specialty menu items have become favorites of bargain-seeking customers. He added that franchise restaurants fared better than indies in the pandemic aftermath because of their deeper pockets. Still, Red Lobster paid the bankruptcy penalty for committing the unforced error of selling all their real estate and leasing it back. And, no, it was not “endless shrimp” that took them down.
The U.S. Department of Labor continued its persecution of Iowa’s, and only Iowa’s, independent restaurant owners. Yet, locally, the comeback is obvious and the reason why we have more good news than bad to report.
The good news
Trang Pham moved her food trucks business Egg Roll Ladies into permanent digs on Second Avenue in Saylor Township. ERL delivers totally scratch signature delights. The name includes Trang’s delightful daughter who sometimes waits on customers, when she is not napping… Good Eatin’s resurrected “meat and two” Southern cooking in all its catfish/chicken/collards/sweet potato/peach cobbler glory, in the old Luigi’s on Southeast 14th… Dominic Iannarelli and Cory Gourley opened Prime & Providence, a decadent take on the modern steakhouse and oyster bar, in West Des Moines with Kobe beef options and coal-fired grilling… Seven years in from his first food truck, Arturo Mora of the Flame Mexican restaurants opened superb fusion restaurant Roots 95 in the former Wasabi in Johnston… Lynn Pritchard resurrected the excellent Table 128, this time just south of downtown. He also opened Hugo’s Wood Fired Grill just west of Drake on University… Chelsea Lyons, whose popular Players was seized by the city, opened Chelsea’s Courtyard Diner in the 300 MLK building near the ballpark’s players… Former Jenny Lee’s owner Jenny Symonds returned as co-owner and executive chef at The Handlebar along the Raccoon River Valley Trail… Michael Hanstad debuted Pepp’s Pizzeria in the former Mema’s Italian Grinders in Grimes serving pizza by the slice in Brooklyn style, but just 200 a day, then it closes. That works for BBQ… Wilson’s Orchard of Iowa City opened Cumming operations, but super chef Matt Steigerwald retired… The owners of Pho Real Kitchen & Bar opened Zavy Kitchen with “modern Vietnamese” fare in East Village… What Dak opened “in the heart of West Des Moines” with bulgolgi, octopus dumplings and Korean corn dogs complementing their signature Korean double-fried chicken… Egg Bistro diner in Ankeny took over the former Georgio’s Greek Grill on Delaware Avenue in a whimsical clash of Pop Art and Parthenon murals… Both the Grimaldi’s and the Home Grown chains added stores in the Jordan Creek hood… HiFi Brew Lounge opened in the former Fox Brewing location on South 11th.
The sad news
Peace Tree Brewing ceased production and began phasing out its taproom operations after 15 years. The East Village tap room closed, and the Knoxville mother store was due to close by press time. They were the face of Iowa craft brew culture. They won many “best” awards, and their Blonde Fatale was the strongest beer in Iowa and an essential rite of the Red Rock summer… Lynn Pritchard closed 503 Cocktail Lab & Tasting Room after two years in East Village… America lost a wine legend in June with the passing of Warren Winiarski, founder of Stag’s Leap. His cabernet sauvignon famously bested all of Bordeaux in the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting, showing that American wine could compete with France’s top bottles. He also was the leading sponsor of Smithsonian’s Food History Project at the National Museum of American History.
COVID 19’s long-term effect on the restaurant business is clearing up. Revised numbers from the National Restaurant Association (NRA) now put the death toll at 90,000 restaurants. Victor Fernandez, Black Box Intelligence’s VP for Insights and Knowledge, said quick-service restaurants and fast casuals held their own better than most full-service eateries, but they, too, feel economic sluggishness now.
Fernandez said most mid-priced family concepts and casual-dining restaurants have fared the worst compared to the grab-and-go spots.
“You might not go to Chili’s but may pick up from Chipotle,” he said.
The way restaurants are coping with the pandemic aftermath and with four years of inflation changed the last six months. McDonald’s gave in to customer defections and, after five years, finally tried to match Wendy’s successful $5 meal deal. Even Starbuck’s, long opposed to any kind of discounts, gave in. “50% off a drink. It’s on,” Starbucks said in an email to customers. “Keep checking the app all summer for more deals heading your way.” Keep track of new bargains in our Daily Umbrella column www.thedailyumbrella.com.
David Portalatin, Senior VP and Food Adviser at marketing analysis giant Circana, told the NRA that burger, pizza and taco chains have performed well, but a new crop of chicken specialty menu items have become favorites of bargain-seeking customers. He added that franchise restaurants fared better than indies in the pandemic aftermath because of their deeper pockets. Still, Red Lobster paid the bankruptcy penalty for committing the unforced error of selling all their real estate and leasing it back. And, no, it was not “endless shrimp” that took them down.
The U.S. Department of Labor continued its persecution of Iowa’s, and only Iowa’s, independent restaurant owners. Yet, locally, the comeback is obvious and the reason why we have more good news than bad to report.
The good news
Trang Pham moved her food trucks business Egg Roll Ladies into permanent digs on Second Avenue in Saylor Township. ERL delivers totally scratch signature delights. The name includes Trang’s delightful daughter who sometimes waits on customers, when she is not napping… Good Eatin’s resurrected “meat and two” Southern cooking in all its catfish/chicken/collards/sweet potato/peach cobbler glory, in the old Luigi’s on Southeast 14th… Dominic Iannarelli and Cory Gourley opened Prime & Providence, a decadent take on the modern steakhouse and oyster bar, in West Des Moines with Kobe beef options and coal-fired grilling… Seven years in from his first food truck, Arturo Mora of the Flame Mexican restaurants opened superb fusion restaurant Roots 95 in the former Wasabi in Johnston… Lynn Pritchard resurrected the excellent Table 128, this time just south of downtown. He also opened Hugo’s Wood Fired Grill just west of Drake on University… Chelsea Lyons, whose popular Players was seized by the city, opened Chelsea’s Courtyard Diner in the 300 MLK building near the ballpark’s players… Former Jenny Lee’s owner Jenny Symonds returned as co-owner and executive chef at The Handlebar along the Raccoon River Valley Trail… Michael Hanstad debuted Pepp’s Pizzeria in the former Mema’s Italian Grinders in Grimes serving pizza by the slice in Brooklyn style, but just 200 a day, then it closes. That works for BBQ… Wilson’s Orchard of Iowa City opened Cumming operations, but super chef Matt Steigerwald retired… The owners of Pho Real Kitchen & Bar opened Zavy Kitchen with “modern Vietnamese” fare in East Village… What Dak opened “in the heart of West Des Moines” with bulgolgi, octopus dumplings and Korean corn dogs complementing their signature Korean double-fried chicken… Egg Bistro diner in Ankeny took over the former Georgio’s Greek Grill on Delaware Avenue in a whimsical clash of Pop Art and Parthenon murals… Both the Grimaldi’s and the Home Grown chains added stores in the Jordan Creek hood… HiFi Brew Lounge opened in the former Fox Brewing location on South 11th.
The sad news
Peace Tree Brewing ceased production and began phasing out its taproom operations after 15 years. The East Village tap room closed, and the Knoxville mother store was due to close by press time. They were the face of Iowa craft brew culture. They won many “best” awards, and their Blonde Fatale was the strongest beer in Iowa and an essential rite of the Red Rock summer… Lynn Pritchard closed 503 Cocktail Lab & Tasting Room after two years in East Village… America lost a wine legend in June with the passing of Warren Winiarski, founder of Stag’s Leap. His cabernet sauvignon famously bested all of Bordeaux in the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting, showing that American wine could compete with France’s top bottles. He also was the leading sponsor of Smithsonian’s Food History Project at the National Museum of American History.
