What Danny Meyer’s Martina Means for Restaurants Everywhere


Skift Take

Any restaurant opening from Union Square Hospitality Group is one to watch. Operations at Martina, which its chef calls "fine-casual," are a look at current industry trends set to go big.

This edition of the Chefs+Tech newsletter was sent on August 21, 2017. Subscribe to get the latest in your inbox.  What Danny Meyer's Martina Means for Restaurants Everywhere Restaurateur Danny Meyer opened his latest project, Martina, in New York City last week. The dine-in and take-out restaurant features a menu of photo-worthy pizzas and salads, and no item is over $13. So what does a singular New York City restaurant opening have to do with the larger, nationwide industry? Plenty, when it comes from a superstar restaurateur and displays many of the characteristics of the modern, successful restaurant: 1: Small menu. Limited options mean increased speed, and Martina has just four starters, three salads, seven pizzas, and two desserts. 2. Order at the counter: Lines keep things orderly, and the association with register lines as a feature only of fast food restaurants has dissipated. (See: Sqirl in LA. Souvla in San Francisco.) 3. Custom to-go boxes. Thanks to the popularity of de