Monday, May 8, 2017

The opening of Westfield WTC in New York, and its link through to Brookfield Place has created a new hub to see some of the latest food-to-go concepts in the city. Following my recent visit to the city, I've highlighted four which bring to life some of the key trends shaping the sector this year.

Westfield WTC

Featuring an iconic design, Westfield WTC is more than a shopping mall, with its direct link to a major transportation hub making it key thoroughfare in lower Manhattan. While one of its key anchors is Eataly, it is also home to several food-to-go concepts which reflect some of the latest trends in the sector, with several more scheduled to open over the coming months. Among those already established with the centre are:
  • Choza Taqueria - a counter-serve taqueria serving fresh and authentically-inspired Mexican items
  • Devon & Blakely - featuring a wide selection of sandwiches, salads, and soups
  • Joe & The Juice - contemporary food and beverage concept offering snacks, juices, smoothies, and coffee
One of the more unique concepts is Épicerie Boulud. Developed by chef Daniel Boulud, this is a casual café concept which stands-out due to its primary focus on four key occasions:
  • Morning coffee and pastries
  • Lunch, with options including soups, sandwiches and salads, artisanal bread, charcuterie and cheese
  • Afternoon, with coffee, gelato and snacks to go
  • Post-work, offering a range of oysters and beers and wines

Eataly WTC

A trip to Eataly is a prerequisite if you are heading to the Westfield centre. Opened last summer, the retailer has stuck to its successful Italian-led model. A snaking pathway through the store brings shoppers into contact with all the various elements, including its five restaurants which offer traditional table seating and counter seating around the prep areas. This enables a high level of interaction between its team of chefs and customers, creating a very social environment.
The retailer also caters for shoppers looking to eat or drink something quick, incorporating several different elements to meet the needs of the large number of both tourists and city workers which visit the store daily. These include a Lavazza branded coffee bar, juice bar, gelato, pastry counter and pizza-to-go.

Hudson Eats

Although it has been open for almost three years, the ‘Hudson Eats’ food court at Brookfield Place continues to be a great source of inspiration. It offers a spacious dining environment, with many of the foodservice providers offering their own seating alongside larger communal dining areas. Featuring a premium look and feel, it is home to a broad range of outlets, focusing on both food-to-go and casual dining options. These include New York staples such as Olive's, Unami Burger and Chop’t. One of the on-trend providers is Dig Inn Seasonal Market which focuses on sourcing local and seasonal ingredients to offer a range of bowl based dishes. With several locations across the city, and in Boston, it is a key operator to watch.

Le District

Also located in Brookfield Place is Le District, France’s answer to Eataly. The products are almost exclusively from France, or French inspired, with a focus placed on the different regions of the country. Featuring a mix of retail, dining and food-to-go options, the 30,000 sq ft store provides shoppers with an immersive experience, divided into districts with dining options located around many of the service counters, including fish, seafood and cheese counters. It also offers a coffee bar, bakery and patisserie, and a fine dining restaurant, and as with Eataly, it is a great example of the blurring of retail and foodservice.
If you’ve enjoyed reading about these stores, join me on a Retail Safari to New York to learn more about them and other great concepts in the city. There’s more information at http://www.igd.com/retailsafaris, including our other city study tours.
I appreciate you taking the time to read this post. It would be great to connect with you, please send me an invite or get the latest updates @Stewart_IGD.
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