Restaurants brace for Trump's tariffs
Plus: Valentine's Day dates for four?
• public
January and February are tough months for restaurants, even without threats of tariffs, ICE raids or natural disasters. We love that Resy is highlighting how difficult the beginning of the year can be for the industry with its new promotional video that pulls the curtain back on restaurant operations and suggests how diners can—and should—support their local restaurants.
Here's hoping your February is off to a good start!
On the menu:
💠 Super Bowl spending
💠 Everyone is on tariff watch
💠 New owner for two Mario Batali spots
💠 The "Ozempic effect" is real
What we’re reading: Hospitality attorney Vivian Chen’s step-by-step guide on what to do if ICE comes to your restaurant.
What’s on our radar: A slew of recent Seattle restaurant closures that come in the wake of rising food costs, rent and payroll taxes.
What we’re watching: A time-lapse video of the Country Club of Virginia transforming its kitchen into an exclusive chef’s-table experience.
What we’re looking forward to: An expected $1 billion increase in Super Bowl food and beverage spending this year.
Just for fun: Delish is predicting which New Orleans restaurants Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce might hit when they’re in town for the Super Bowl.
Restaurants keep an eye on Trump's tariffs
If you're keeping a close watch on the Trump administration’s shifting and delayed plans for tariffs on imports from China, Canada and Mexico to see how they will affect restaurants, you're not alone. The National Restaurant Association is, too.
“We are closely monitoring the impacts tariffs will have on food and beverage pricing, domestic sourcing options and menu adaptation,” says association president and CEO Michelle Korsmo. Canadian restaurants are keeping watch, too. Operators there believe the tariffs could have a Covid-like impact. In the meantime, QSR has a good breakdown of food and beverage commodity imports from each country. (Restaurant Dive)
Valentine's Day vibe shift for restaurants
Four (or more) isn't a crowd on Valentine's Day. A recent survey from OpenTable found that 51% of diners would consider double dates on Valentine's Day. Gen Z, like usual, is driving this trend. Restaurants also saw a 34% increase in groups of six or more reserving tables for Galentine's Day (Feb. 13) last year, compared to the previous year.
"Valentine's Day dining has gone through a major vibe shift over the years, and this year sees a continuation of that, with couples, double dates, and groups of friends planning to dine out for the occasion," says Robin Chiang, chief growth officer of OpenTable. Still, some things like last-minute reservations will never change. Last year, 28% of Valentine's Day reservations were made within 48 hours of dining. (OpenTable)
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Percentage of surveyed operators who say driving off-premises revenue, like online ordering and catering, will be a top priority this year.
💠 Two Mario Batali-founded restaurants have a new owner
💠 What to know about retaliatory tariffs on American alcohol
💠 What it’s like running a bar in one of the U.S.’s 17 control states
"People are definitely eating less, and there is definitely an 'Ozempic impact' to that."
-David Miller, president and COO of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants
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