A mix of New York City restaurateurs and hospitality professionals gathered on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, for an Accelerate event hosted by What Now Media Group at Beefbar New York. The event created a valuable opportunity for the city’s restaurant community to connect, collaborate, and share insights on navigating a dynamic and competitive market.
Beefbar New York, located at 105 Hudson Street in Tribeca, hosted the evening inside its sleek and stylish dining room. The free event brought together more than two dozen representatives from businesses featured on What Now New York. This included local restaurant owners and operators, as well as industry-leading professionals from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners. Attendees enjoyed light bites and drinks while engaging in networking, followed by a panel-style discussion on strategies for sustainable growth, operational success, and community collaboration.
The event was led by Mariah Medley, director of events and partner engagement at What Now Media Group, with special guest Kyle Dondero, director of partner success at the company. Together, they guided the evening’s conversation and helped highlight the incredible work being done by New York City restaurateurs.
Among the evening’s notable attendees was Mahween Rahman, co-owner of Beefbar, a concept under Tribeca Hospitality known for its modern spin on elevated comfort food. Michael Dunne, owner of 5’s, and Liz Macnaught, general manager, also attended. 5’s is a new lunch counter concept heading to East Village that emphasizes approachable, high-quality fare.
Other restaurateurs included Gonzalo Rubino, co-owner of Skinny Louie, a contemporary American restaurant with a bold menu, and Jennybelk Varona, owner of Dolce Momento, a soon-to-open Lower East Side fusion eatery.
Carol Krakowski, owner of Boris and Horton, a beloved dog-friendly café, and Lucia Salum, owner of Ol’Days Coffee, which offers an Argentinian-inspired café experience, were also in attendance.
Representing two distinct concepts under AO Hospitality were Ruizhao “Aric” Ao, owner of Cafe Odyssey / Chinese Odyssey, and Jackie Yu, assistant. Also present was Guy Vaknin, owner of City Roots Hospitality, known for its innovative plant-based cuisine and concepts, such as Reverie.
Attendees also included Natasha Van Duser and Carlo Olcese from Bateman’s, a craft cocktail bar with a rotating seasonal beverage program. Following the event, Van Duser shared the following with What Now Media Group:
“I just wanted to reach out to say thank you so much for inviting Carlo and me to the What Now networking event on Tuesday. It was so great meeting so many people in the industry and hearing about everyone’s unique experiences and concepts. We’re doing a lot of really exciting things at Bateman’s right now, so it was great to be able to chat and share our ideas with others. Would love to be kept in the What Now loop for future events.”
Several of What Now Media Group’s Preferred Partners were also present, offering advice, tools, and resources to support the growth of hospitality businesses. Representatives from OpenTable, including Madison Mauger and Chris Lacey, spoke to attendees about optimizing the guest booking experience and increasing table turns through strategic reservation tools.
From A Plus Towels, Michael Lynch and Carlos Acevedo were on hand to discuss linen, uniform, and towel services that improve operational hygiene and efficiency. Representatives from Heartland, including Amy Culwell, Nina Goyco, and Kevin Green, shared how their payroll and back-office solutions can help operators manage staff and scale seamlessly.
Ken Sultar from Our Town America shared marketing techniques focused on targeting new movers in the area, a strategy proven to drive local traffic and customer retention. Also in attendance were Ben Gliner and Jason Lee of SpotOn, who spoke about how their point-of-sale solutions and business tools can help restaurateurs manage everything from payments to guest loyalty in a single platform.
In total, more than ten Preferred Partners attended, engaging with restaurateurs and offering services ranging from insurance to signage and marketing support, all tailored specifically to the hospitality industry.
The restaurant owners and industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners shared valuable insights, operational highlights, and expert advice, creating an engaging and informative evening that was both enriching and beneficial for all attendees.
This led Mariah Medley to carry the conversation even deeper by discussing critical business points, such as having an exit plan and efficiently managing operations after expanding to multiple locations. After Mariah and the guests shared their tips, knowledge, and concerns, everyone became quickly interested in learning more about their businesses and how they could help one another.
This event provided a valuable platform for restaurant owners and industry partners to collaborate, brainstorm, and establish new connections. It’s clear that the New York restaurant community is eager to continue innovating and evolving, and What Now Media Group’s Accelerate events provide the perfect space for these conversations to take place.
What Now Media Group shares restaurant opening news in 33 cities across North America, breaking news, and provides timely insight into yet-to-open brick-and-mortar businesses. The platform shares news of thousands of openings across all 33 cities annually.
The industry-leading experts in What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners help new businesses open and existing businesses grow.
Stay tuned for future Accelerate events from What Now Media Group in 2025. For more details, see the Accelerate page here.
Click here for a complete list of our partners. To learn more about becoming a preferred partner, click here.
