The CulinaryWomanNewsleter, 2/5/23

Merchandise is a hit with diners

Welcome to the CulinaryWoman Newsletter, especially if this is your first issue. It’s the first edition for February, and Carnival season is in full swing in New Orleans.

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Merchandise Is A Big Hit With Diners

I keep thinking about buying this jacket. It marks the 130th anniversary of Commander’s Palace (that’s co-proprietor Lally Brennan modeling it). The jacket already sold out once and pre-orders are available again for delivery in May.

This is a flashier look than I’d normally embrace. My wardrobe runs more towards Eileen Fisher, although I am acquiring more purple, green and gold attire.

However, fringe and sparkles are common sights here, and those who wear the jacket to Commander’s are being promised a special treat.

By ordering the jacket, they’ve giving Commander’s the type of sale that many restaurants are embracing. Merchandise, it seems, is a hit with diners.

A long-distance souvenir

A new survey from SquareUp, maker of point of sale devices, shows that one-fifth of restaurant revenue now comes from areas other than food served on site. That included pre-packaged meals, gift cards, books, cooking classes and t-shirts. And consumers are eager for these options.

About 57 percent of those interviewed for the Future of Commerce survey said they purchased a retail item from a restaurant during the past year

Even more interesting: 54 percent said they bought something from a restaurant they had never visited in person. That could be a bottle of pasta sauce from Rao’s in New York, a deep dish pizza from Giordano’s in Chicago, or a Zingerman’s coffee cake shipped from Ann Arbor.

That willingness to purchase virtual souvenirs goes hand in hand with another trend. Consumers don’t expect the extensive service they once received.

For instance, 73% of consumers said they’d prefer automation over live staff members in at least one area of a business. About 40 percent are fine with self checkout. A similar number are satisfied to pick up or get their food delivered.

Customers say they want to hear from their favorite places. About 60 percent want to hear from businesses via email, and 46 percent want to hear from them through a social media profile or in their direct messages.

Futuristic sales channels

If you are on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Tik Tok, you’ve seen the emergence of direct sales to consumers. Numerous pop ups and even some restaurants no longer have formal websites: they’ve set up check out pages through apps like Toast.

Nearly 80 percent of consumers are making purchases directly from their mobile devices (including shopping apps, social media, and online shopping sites). Around 22% of their total purchases are spur of the moment transactions, being made while they scroll.

All this might seem like a lot to comprehend, but it illustrates how swiftly the restaurant playing field is changing. So, if your staff is eager to design a trendy t-shirt or a glitzy jacket, you may find yourself selling out.

Where’s The Beef?

The U.S. cow herd is at its smallest size since 1962, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The main reason, Reuters said, was a severe drought that damaged their grazing land.

There were 28.9 million beef cows as of Jan. 1, down 3.6% from a year earlier, the USDA said. It was the smallest herd size for that date in 61 years. Rather than feed cows, farmer are culling the herds (sorry, Bossie).

What does that mean for consumers? Most likely, higher prices on top of increases during the pandemic. It will take time for farmland to rejuvenate so that more cows can graze, so get used to steakhouse sticker shock.

The British Bake Off Winner Goes To Buckingham Palace

Last week, King Charles III held a reception in London to honor British Asian and South Asian communities. It came in conjunction with the Lunar New Year, ushering the Year of the Rabbit or the Cat, depending on the nation celebrating.

The group included a familiar face to fans of the Great British Bake Off: 2023 winner Syabira Yusoff. She posted her outfit, which was a variation on traditional Malaysian dress.

The Queen Consort is an avid Bake Off fan, as are the Prince and Princess of Wales. The princess has said that little Prince Louis’ first words included “Mary Berry,” because he could see her picture on a cookbook.

Keeping Up With CulinaryWoman

I’m delighted with this new portrait, which was taken by New Orleans photographer Kyla Madden, The session took place at the High Hat Cafe.

Next Saturday, I will be riding on Mardi Gras! I am a member of he Krewe of Themis, which joins the Krewe of Freret in their parade. We roll at 3:30 pm CT on the Uptown parade route, I’ll share my float number and riding position on social media this week.

You can reach me at culinarywoman at gmail dot com. I am on Instagram at michelinemaynard and my New Orleans adventures are at micki_in_nola. There is a CulinaryWoman Facebook page and I’m still at culinarywoman on Twitter.

This has been a tough time for our friends in Texas. I hope you are safe and healthy. I’ll see our paid members tomorrow with Red Beans and Advice and everyone else next week.