FORGET fine china. These days, cardboard containers are in.
The ups and downs of a volatile stock market are causing some New Yorkers to lose their appetite for fancy restaurants – or at least the 20 percent tips and 300 percent mark-ups on wine normally associated with them.
And high-end restaurants are only happy to accommodate the growing number of homebodies with new and expanded takeout service – especially after a month of business made sluggish by Jewish holidays, presidential debates and financial uncertainty.
“Delivery has really taken off in our industry,” says Stratis Morfogen, who recently opened Philippe Express, the casual Greenwich Village spinoff of the fashionable uptown Chinese restaurant. “One, it’s an election year. Two, people are finding in all the Wall Street turmoil a lot more reasons to eat in and stay home.”
And while Morfogen says he and his partners had planned to open Philippe Express before the economy went south, other eateries are making more conscious decisions to cater to shut-ins.
At Kefi, the Greek restaurant from Michael Psilakis and Donatella Arpaia opening next month on the Upper West Side, the entire menu will be available for delivery, as will additional offerings with lower price points and an array of family-style dinner packages.
Families will be able to round out dishes like roasted chicken ($45) and lamb shank ($65) with a choice of two appetizers (think Greek Salad, mussels or meatballs) and two sides (including stewed cauliflower, creamed spinach and roasted lemon potatoes).
For a family of six, the roasted chicken package prices out to $7.50 per person. Not bad, considering Psilakis was hailed by “Food & Wine” as the Best New Chef of 2008. “In today’s economic climate, value has become a very big buzz word,” says Psilakis.
Down in the Financial District, the French brasserie Perle will offer a separate takeout area when it opens next month at 62 Pearl St. – though that wasn’t part of owner Mario Carta’s initial plan. Rather, neighborhood layoffs spurred him to make the change mid-construction.
“When I say to people that I’m opening in the Wall Street area they all look at me and say, ‘You’re not scared?’ It’s never the right moment, it’s the never wrong moment, we’re just going to have to adapt our concept to the economy,” says Carta.
“You have to go with the flow and make things more approachable. That’s how you survive,” says Nikki Cascone, the chef-owner behind NoLIta’s 24 Prince, who recently expanded her delivery offerings to include more affordable items.
“New Yorkers may go out to eat less but they aren’t going to start cooking every night,” says Cascone, adding that she’s noticed a recent spike in delivery demand – especially at dinner.
Others are witnessing a similar phenomenon. ‘Wichcraft, the casual take-out arm of Tom Colicchio’s culinary empire, recently added an extra person to its call center to accommodate an increase in evening orders. At Mia Dona, nighttime deliveries are up by 30 percent. And Vong is enjoying brisk business after partnering with SeamlessWeb, the online delivery service.
And when Obika – the chic new Midtown mozzarella bar – launches takeout and delivery operations next month, it expects it to increase business by 30 to 40 percent.
Such numbers may explain why an increasing number of upscale restaurants are exploring delivery as an untapped revenue source. “Over the course of the past three months, we’ve been getting inquiries from fine-dining restaurants – not Le Bernardin, but one step removed from that,” says SeamlessWeb president Jason Finger.
Fancier eateries using the SeamlessWeb service include Brasserie Cognac, Caviar Russe, Delmonico’s Steakhouse, Geisha, Landmarc, Mr. K’s, Molyvos and Sushi of Gari 46.
And then there are the growing restaurant-style options from FreshDirect, which has recently partnered with Rosa Mexicano, Tabla and chef Terrance Brennan of Picholine for a line of “4-Minute Meals” that can be paired with selections from Union Square Wines.
Looking to chow down on Tabla Halibut in Bengali Mustard Seed Curry? On the FreshDirect site, Tabla GM Terry Coughlin recommends you pick up a bottle of Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc “for a stunning pair.” No need to deal with a snotty sommelier ever again. No wonder Steve Druckman, FreshDirect’s chief marketing officer, says his “customers tell us they are eating out at restaurants less.”
As for the rise in weekend deliveries that SeamlessWeb has seen, Finger says, “People [are] modifying their lifestyle. They might not be going out for dinner and a movie but ordering through SeamlessWeb and getting Netflix.”