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2.22.2017: Fining Restaurant No-Shows | Immigration + Restaurants | Michelin Mishigas

RAIN CHECK

Australian Reservation Booking System Dimmi Introduces No-Show Penalties

For the Dimmis and OpenTables of the world, your last-minute decisions about what restaurant reservation to take are a royal pain in the you-know-what. To the tune of A$75 million industry wide, according to Dimmi’s annual No Show Report. In the instance of a single restaurant it’s thousands of dollars in revenue loss. Dimmi founder and chief executive Stevan Premutico described no-shows as “one of the biggest issues impacting the restaurant industry.” Not cool people. To tackle the issue, Dimmi has banned 38,000 diners and is introducing a blacklist where repeat offenders will be blocked from booking for a year, akin to the four-time offender rule with OpenTable where your account is suspended should you fail to show up repeatedly. Common excuses include the obvious “I had a last minute meeting scheduled” and the more blatant “I booked two reservations so I could choose which one I’d like to take” (?!%$?!!!) — but it’s time we all take a moment to think about what happens when look who’s not coming to dinner.

THE CHEETO

If You Care About Restaurants, You Care About Immigration Policy, Says Eater

And we’re with them. The Trump era has ushered in a series of questions about fundamental rights many of us thought had been permanently, ethically, answered, but perhaps no better arena in peril with upcoming changes to American immigration is the restaurant kitchen. From restaurant employees being fired for participating in Day without Immigrants, to the fact that the AP just reported that the president is considering mobilizing up to 100,000 National Guard troops in pursuit of unauthorized immigrants, much of the hardworking foundation on which your evening meal out has been built has been directly threatened by our country’s top dog, putting their livelihoods and ability to support their families in direct peril. Eater does an extremely thoughtful rundown of the exact nature of the threat and we think you all should read it. And begin to think about how we can mobilize to defend the fact that virtually every aspect of American cuisine as we know it came from elsewhere. Not to mention that it’s the right thing to do.

MICHELIN MISHIGAS

No, The Other One

Once in awhile, even the ever-exacting Michelin guide gets it wrong. The French arbiter of the highly-coveted stars seems to have scrambled it’s Bouche à l’Oreilles this year, awarding a star to an unassuming bistro which was certain they couldn’t possibly have merited the accolades. Media ensued. The real winner — 100 miles away and of the same name, on a similar street (route de la Chapelle vs. rue de la Chapelle… really?!) — was dismayed. They all then became friends. Why are we into this? Well, in even the darkest of newsy times, funny things do still happen, even to the fine people at La Guide Michelin. Touché.

SORRY, ALEXA

The Joule Bot Is Your Friend in the Kitchen

Now here’s a Facebook group we can get behind. In an age where the robot is has infiltrated so many of our daily tasks (Alexa! I need a Souvla salad, NOW) and, much to Laurie Colwin’s chagrin (may she rest in peace), the notion of the friend in the kitchen seems to be dying a swift death, we are excited to learn that the original social media company is taking it upon themselves to find a way for a Fbook group to accompany you through meal prep. Cooking with Joule is the brainchild of ChefSteps, who are introducing a custom skill for Amazon’s Alexa, “creating the first voice-controlled sous vide experience on the planet.” So, step aside Mario, Julia, and Jacques… it’s the era of the robot-assisted American cook. Never apologize.

 

Digestifs:

  • In a move of fast food consolidation, Burger King buys Popeyes in a depressing moment of progress for the American diet.
  • I mean, you would have done it too
  • Okay, food video is a long and storied saga but the latest intruder may come closest to bringing our dreams of smellovision to life. Enter ASMR.

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