New York City is a culinary Mecca. It has always been the city where diners expect to pay a substantial price for the numerous fine dining choices offered throughout the city. New York is also the home to most of the countries highest rated restaurants and celebrity chefs.
Today's economic situation, unfortuneately, is threatening the fine dining style in New York City. Many restaurants that have always been packed full of patrons, eager to dine on their $200 and up prixe fixe menus are downsizing to much cheaper offerings.
One example of this can be seen with Le Cirque, a restaurant that has been famous for its fine dining offerings. The restaurant actually has a room behind the bar, which was intended for the overflow of guests that could not make it into the main dining room. Recently though, this back room has had much more visitors than the main dining room itself because of its lower prices. The restaurant even has to use the money it makes from its Las Vegas and Dominican Republic locations just to keep the establuishment open through this period.
Other high end offerings are eliminating lunch menus because they cannot afford to stay open during that time due to lack of business. Some are lowering the menu prices altogether. Most are forced to offer much lower prixe fixe menus to stay afloat, but they are all facing hardship when it comes to paying bills.
Is the economy threatinging the fine dining way of life? Or is this just a trend that will pass? We will have to wait and find out where it leads...
You can view more about it here.
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I think this all is going to pass, the economy will streghten over time and people will be more eagar to spend lavishly on high end meals and these well known chefs and restaruanters will beable to charge higher prices again and be very successfull in doing so. for now the top restaraurnts need to do all they can to keep guests coming in and stay atleast even when it comes to business temrs. New York city has a huge culinary backround and all of this mixed with the economy gives this whole thing a unique dynamic as competition rises and each establishment trys to capture the guest to come into their place.
ReplyDeleteI also think it is going to pass. The economy is stregthening a little bit now, and they say it will be strong again in the next year or two. I think once that happens, everything will go back to the way it was before, and since people will have their disposable income back, they will be able to indulge in fine dining the way they always have. I am sure if the restaurants are offering cheaper prices, they are also offering either less or lower quality products/services. When the customers get back their disposable income and are willing to pay the higher prices again, they will also want to recieve the same products offered before; so everything will be back to normal.
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