Our Client La Goulue’s feature in Wall Street Journal. Click here to view the original article. Appeared in the February 12, 2021, print edition as ‘This Valentine’s Day, New Yorkers Want Indoor Dining Reservations.’
Forget Chocolates and Flowers. This Valentine’s Day, New Yorkers Want Indoor Dining Reservations.
As the city reopens indoor dining at 25%, restaurants are being flooded with calls to secure coveted seats
At La Goulue, a French restaurant on the Upper East Side, the culinary team is bringing back their popular soufflé offerings, both ones made with cheese and Grand Marnier liqueur. At the Mark Restaurant, located inside the Mark Hotel on the Upper East Side and headed up by acclaimed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, diners will get a complimentary box of chocolate as a parting gesture.
As much of a boost as the Valentine’s Day weekend may provide to restaurants on their road to recovery, most establishments say it is hard to run in the black with only 25% indoor capacity. “Nobody is talking about making a profit,” said Mr. Vongerichten.
At the same time, the weekend is seen as a harbinger of things to come. At the very least, it is an opportunity to bring staff members back or offer current ones more work, restaurateurs say.