Decline in bookings Nick Kokonas, the founder and CEO of Tock, a restaurant experience booking engine and co-owner of the Alinea Restaurant Group that includes Alinea, Next, The Aviary, Roister and St. Clair Supper Club has reported a considerable increase in the number of restaurant cancellations over the past few days. As the spike in coronavirus (COVID 19) cases rises around the world, anonymous data that represents restaurants, wineries, events in 30 countries and hundreds of cities around the world have shown a sharp decline of over 22 per cent. Writing on Twitter, Kokonas said that whole there has been a slight decline that began several weeks ago, a sharp decline took place in the past week. "Overall booking inflow is down 22 per cent while cancellations have spiked." He said that the good news is that inflow of bookings continued to exceed cancellations for restaurant bookings. However, Tock also sells experiences, i.e. restaurants that normally release tables on … [Read more...]

KOBARID: Ana Ros and Valter Kramer have decided to close Hisa Franko from Monday 16 March to Tuesday 31 March. Ana Roš, the award winning chef of the Slovenian restaurant in Kobarid said "After every rain, the sun comes out. And when the sun comes out, everything is so beautiful." This had to be a special month for Ana Ros and Walter Kramer. They were set to welcome people attending the European Food Summit, which has also been postponed, and they had announced workshops for clients throughout the month of March. Moreover, the first book by Ana Ros called Sun and Rain was also released this month. This is her first book. Through a collection of essays, recollections, recipes and photos, she shares the idyllic landscape that inspires her. Contributors to the book were Andrea Petrini and Kaja Sajovic. "We are taking precautionary measures to keep you and us safe from the new coronavirus (COVID-19). we are supporting each initiative that may help to overcome this … [Read more...]

Over the past few days it has become difficult to keep track of the news. The minute you set to write something, another piece of news changes everything. For most of us over the past few weeks we have been living in unprecedented territory. Unchartered waters. Moments after I was about to write about the voluntary decision of some Italian chefs to close their restaurants came the decision to close everything down. Elsewhere, from the United States to Slovenia, from Malta to Spain, restaurants are voluntarily closing down their places to safeguard their staff and also clients. In Belgium, the country where I live, restaurants, bars and cafes' seemed to have been taken by surprise when the government announced that they would have to close from today. Many seemed to be baffled by the decision though it is not only inevitable but also necessary if the coronavirus is to be stopped. https://www.instagram.com/p/B9rcEpcJPSN/?igshid=1q7eu5sy8l1ab Kobe Desramaults showed … [Read more...]

MEXICO: Food for Soul, a foundation set up by Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore to feed the poor has announced that together with Palace Foundation it will open the doors to Refettorio Mérida in Mexico. This is the first North American project which will open to celebrate Mérida’s rich culture and to engage the local community in building a more inclusive and equitable society. By bringing different people and perspectives together in a welcoming space, the aim of the Refettorio is that of building a sense of community and active participation, that is respectful of the many layers that make up present-day Mérida. Historically, the city has always been a melting pot of cultures. From the Maya to the Spanish, to more recent migrations from Korea and Lebanon, Mérida’s social fabric is a complex and colourful one. The semi-isolated nature of the Yucatán peninsula, considered too far and too difficult to reach from other parts of Mexico, meant that the area was able to … [Read more...]

MILAN: Reopening a restaurant at the beginning of February in Milan might not be easy particularly as the spread of the coronavirus in Northern Italy has created panic. While some restaurants in Milan have to deal with some cancellations, chef-owner Yoji Tokuyoshi of Ristorante Tokuyoshi has decided to not only open the restaurant but also launch his aperitivo. The restaurant of the former sous chef of Massimo Bottura, who also has another restaurant Alter Ego in Tokyo which opened last year had been closed for three months for refurbishment. “We have decided to open and not be scared by the situation. Of course we are taking all the required hygiene measures as advised,” said Yoyi. The refurbishment project of Tokuyoshi was carried out by Milanese architectural studio Progetto e Paesaggio. The dining room is still painted in a colour much loved by Tokuyoshi: green, to represent his relationship with nature as a point of reference for his philosophy.  The feeling is … [Read more...]

CADZAND: Pure C is open again after a complete refurbishment of the two-star restaurant in Cadzand-Bad in Zeeland that took two months. Syrco Bakker and Sergio Herman completely demolished the interior and are now ready to welcome guests again just in time for Pure C’s 10th anniversary. Chef Syrco Bakker said the choice in the interior design are consistent with the vision that they established with Pure C. “We have created an environment that does full justice to our Zeeland produce and to my pure kitchen while respecting the spectacular view and the unique surroundings we find ourselves in,” the chef of the restaurant said. Sergio Herman said that since establishing the restaurant 10 years ago, Pure C has developed into a popular destination. “Syrco is capitalising on his talent: his cooking style appeals to a very large audience and righty so. Judging by the reactions of our guests to house Pure C in a pavilion, I am convinced we have succeeded in giving both Syrco and Pure … [Read more...]