Category Archives: Economics of Dining

Is there a restaurant bubble?

Posted on 2017/07/06 by .

Mostly not, here is a good article by Maura Judkis. Here is part of the chat with me: What’s happening is something that some restaurateurs may not want to hear: Competition in an already-tough business is getting even tougher. Cowen … Continue reading →

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Food consumption now has higher entry barriers than does music consumption

Posted on 2017/04/09 by .

Marco Bresba emails me: I loved your post on how Food has displaced Music in pop culture (March 29) I’ve been thinking about the topic for years, and I believe complacency is pertinent. Musical taste (like one’s taste in wine, … Continue reading →

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“Why isn’t your way of eating and dining more popular?”

Posted on 2017/01/24 by .

That is a request from an MR reader. Getting past the “because I am weird” answer, I will offer a few observations: 1. I think my view, or broadly speaking some version of it, is in fact pretty popular, though … Continue reading →

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The culinary culture that is San Francisco

Posted on 2016/08/10 by .

I am all in favor of San Francisco’s $13 per hour minimum wage (which rises to $15 by 2018), plus mandatory paid sick leave, parental leave and employer health care contributions. But labor costs at restaurants are inching past 50 … Continue reading →

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The economics of diners in New York City

Posted on 2015/11/10 by .

They are disappearing, though still with a cluster in Queens, here is one trouble they are having: It costs as much as $4 million to open a new diner these days … compared to $500,000 for a higher-end restaurant, because … Continue reading →

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Rachel Laudan is wise about food

Posted on 2015/05/31 by ,

The still-underrated Todd Kliman interviews her: I’ve been given special powers, and I appoint you czar (funny, isn’t it, how we have so many appointed czars in this unaristocratic country) of food in the US. What is your first order … Continue reading →

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One of the last remaining Howard Johnson’s is closing

Posted on 2015/04/26 by .

What was once one of America’s most iconic and popular chains is now down to just two locations. According to NPR, one of the last three Howard Johnson’s restaurants closed its doors this week. Located in Lake Placid, N.Y., the … Continue reading →

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3-D printed food

Posted on 2015/04/25 by .

Marijn Roovers’ epicurean delights have graced the tables of some of the Netherlands’ finest restaurants. But the food designer’s Chocolate Globe is his most intricate — and technologically advanced — creation. A chocolate shell just 0.8 millimetres thick is embossed … Continue reading →

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House of Mandi

Posted on 2015/04/23 by .

House of Mandi, web site, 5515 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA, 703-527-3333 (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [Google | Ylp | Trip Advisor] Hey people, pull out those old lecture notes on duopoly theory, northern Virginia now has … Continue reading →

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More on the economics of dessert in decline

Posted on 2015/02/10 by .

Parties that might have finished their dinner in a little over an hour instead linger for closer to two when they opt for dessert. And they stay the extra thirty minutes while consuming only a fraction of what they did … Continue reading →

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