Pop! Goes the Restaurant
Pop-Up restaurants are definitely a fun trend. They also allow a chef to make a statement without a lot of capital. Partnerships between chefs emerge. Breweries host pop-ups complete with pairing menus to complement the sometimes wacky, sometimes upscale cuisine.
Here are a few of the fun concepts that have been making headlines in the past few weeks:
Celebrity Cruises set up its own pop-up restaurant:
Billed as a great way to sample the cuisine aboard the cruise line without the big check, the pop-up showcased the drink and food menus from all over the Celebrity Cruise line footprint.
Even the Four Seasons is getting into the pop-up game:
Ranging from hosting celebrity chefs, to showcasing new and exciting flavors, and even pop-up themes for your business meeting, they are capitalizing on the pop-up trend.
Uno Immanivong of the soon to open Chino in Dallas, found a home for her pop-up at Four Corners Brewing Company. You may have seen her on The Taste, a new reality cooking show:
http://cravedfw.com/2013/02/11/a-foreshadowing-of-trinity-groves-chino/#more-22239
D’Andre Carter, former sous at Moto, under Homaru Cantu, is on the pop-up bandwagon as well:
http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2013/01/08/feast-on-new-popups-from-former-moto-chef.php
Pop-ups are sometimes a secret society of sorts, that is of course, until the cat gets out of the bag:
http://austinist.com/2013/02/13/food_scrumptious_chef_pops_up_at_ta.php
The announcement by the Austinist of this secret pop-up restaurant has the Scrumptious Chef more than a little concerned.
What is your opinion on pop-ups? Are you a fan or do you think that they are just a passing fad?