Magazin: Appearing-disappearing

Pop-up restaurants are a typical 21st century-phenomenon, a metropolitan restaurant concept that is as much about cuisine as about marketing. They only work for a very short time and disappear without a trace. Good planning is vital because the restaurant’s capacity is limited and unexpected costs may even make profits disappear. Costs can also be lower if a pop-up opens at a place that is out of use and is therefore cheap.

Seats are sold in advance because the whole concept is about maximising the number of guests in the operating period. Reservation and payment are usually made via the Internet. Experts do not have a difficult task with marketing because the press loves creative ideas. Internet and social networking sites are obvious tools, just like the opportunities in smartphone applications. In New York there are companies which specialise in pop-up restaurants: Guerrilla Culinary Brigade’s latest ‘product’ was Pop Art in a yet unopened hotel, with chef prodigy Greg Grossman. As most of the company’s projects, this place only received guests for a couple of days. John Fraser, the owner of a popular restaurant on Upper West Side rented a building that will be demolished in the summer, he bought furniture on e-bay and opened What Happens When, where the bar is a service cart and guests lay the table themselves. Young chef Nick Curtin offers his 10-course tasting menu in Miami but only10 people can participate in the 2.5-hour adventure of the flavour trip each night.