On a chilly spring afternoon, over two dozen New York restaurant owners gathered at Nana Cocktail Bar, the plush, dimly lit speakeasy space above sushi restaurant RokuNana, for What Now Media Group’s Accelerate Event.
The event, held on Wednesday, March 11, is part of What Now’s Accelerate Program, a series of regular networking events bringing together restaurant owners featured in What Now New York and a variety of industry professionals.
What Now Director of Events Mariah Medley was the afternoon’s Master of Ceremonies, introducing each restaurant owner and partner, as guests munched on an assortment of sushi rolls and karaage chicken from RokuNana.
Restaurants
What Now New York’s Accelerate event brought together restaurant owners with a wide range of experience, those with multiple locations after years in the industry and first-time business owners.
Almost Santo: 40 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009
Co-owners Alexis Casares and Karan Kapoor represented Almost Santo, an Ecuadorian-influenced American tapas restaurant opening in the East Village. The restaurant is planning to open in March 2026.
Boongs: 77 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10003
Mario Hong owns three Boongs locations with his wife. The pair owns Boongs Cafe in the East Village, Boongs Chicken in the Upper East Side and Boongs Grab & Go, which opened in October 2025 in the Ukrainian Village along 3rd Ave. The small chain of restaurants serves Korean fried chicken and Asian snacks and desserts.
Café Mandarin: 1239 1st Ave, New York, NY 10065
Café Mandarin is the latest restaurant for Accelerate event attendee Peter Liu, opening in the fall of 2025. However, the owner of Michelin-recognized restaurant O Mandarin is aiming to expand his business rapidly, hoping to open five to eight locations in the next few years.
Cahoots: 422 E 9th St, New York, NY 10009
Cheyenne Garcia is the co-owner of Cahoots alongside co-owner Daniel Garcia. Cahoots is a cafe-by-day, bar-by-night spot opening in the East Village. The co-owners come from a hospitality background, meeting at James Beard-recognized restaurant Black Trumpet in New Hampshire. Cahoots is opening sometime in 2026.
HED NYC: 461 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011
Naurephon “Billie” Wannajaro is bringing her San Francisco-based, Michelin-recognized restaurant concept HED to New York. Opening in Chelsea in May 2026, HED NYC will serve a Thai tasting menu from head chef Piriya “Saint” Boonprasan, hoping to gain the attention of the Michelin Guide again.
Hulk Hogan’s Slam Sports Bar: 416 8th Ave, New York, NY 10001
Rich Rosen and Ruquya Rahat represented Hulk Hogan’s Slam Sports Bar, which is opening in Penn Station in 2026. Rosen worked with the late, great Hulk Hogan to develop the concept, announcing the concept in June 2025, just a month before the wrestler’s death. The upcoming bar and restaurant, initially conceived as a tribute to Hogan’s career, will also be a monument to his legacy.
Kam Rai Thai:124 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003
Kam Rai Thai is an Astoria-based Thai restaurant opening in the upcoming Time Out Market in Union Square. The restaurant is owned by Chef Dhanapol “Oak” Marprasert and Jiraporn “Jina” Tisopa, who also own Samsaen Thai in the Garment District. Kam Rai Thai is set for a fall 2026 opening.
Lin & Daughters: 755 W 26th St, New York, NY 10010
Accelerate attendee Becky Lin owns two Lin & Daughters locations without a partner. Lin grew up in her parents’ Chinese American restaurant and named her restaurant after her father, Lin, and his two daughters. The first Lin & Daughters opened in the West Village in early 2023. She opened her most recent location in Nomad in the summer of 2025. Lin & Daughters offers noodle dishes and specializes in hand-made dumplings.
Linda’s: 44 E 92nd St, New York, NY 10128
Linda Shkrelja attended the event on behalf of her upcoming restaurant Linda’s, opening in Carnegie Hill. Shkrelja and her husband Victor also own Lex Restaurant on 1370 Lexington Ave., just around the corner from her new restaurant.
Malvan: 550 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Michelin-starred chef Eric McCarthy, his business partner Subash Chinaa and mixologist Alok Chagule represented the upcoming restaurant Malvan, a regional Indian restaurant in Carroll Gardens. Malvan is named after the region it draws inspiration from, a town along the western coast of India. The restaurant is opening in the spring of 2026.
Nuyores: 154 W 13th St, New York, NY 10011, USA
Event attendee Oscar Lorenzzi owns Nuyores, which opened in the summer of 2025. The Peruvian-inspired restaurant serves small plates featuring South American dishes like ceviche and Argentinian beef ribeye steak.
The Pocket: 10 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002
Attendee Henry Tashman is a partner at The Pocket, an upcoming bar in The Bowery. The Pocket is owned by experienced bar owners Geoffery Dawson, Julian Dawson, and Bennet Genovesi, who own a slew of bars in the Washington, D.C. area under the Tin Shop hospitality group. The Pocket will be the group’s first bar in New York.
Shania’s Max Bet: 317 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Mike Brown and Robin Daily are first-time bar owners, opening Shania’s Max Bet in the old Dirty Precious space in Gowanus. The co-owners are toeing the line between maintaining the spirit of Dirty Precious and its niche in the neighborhood and creating something new. The pair are aiming for a mid-summer 2026 opening.
Shin Takumi: 44 Greenwich Ave, New York, NY 10011
Tianyan Pan has a small collection of omakase restaurants, like Sushi YOLO NYC and Takumi Sushi. His latest restaurant, Shin Takumi, opened in March 2026. Of Pan’s three restaurants, Takumi Sushi is the most affordable, offering a $58 12-course omakase experience.
Sono: 176 1st Ave, New York, NY 10009
Sono is an upcoming East Village restaurant from chef Sechul Yang, formerly of Oiji Mi and Maialino. Sono will serve Korean Italian fusion food, creating Korean dishes with New York influences and handmade pasta dishes flavored with Korean sauces.
TBD: 31-33 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
Attendee Matt Webber is one of four owners at a yet-to-be-named bar opening in the East Village. The team, consisting of Webber, Ben Altman, Andy Simmons and Holly Simmons, also own The Ripple Room, Carousel, Lou’s Athletic Club and a whole portfolio of additional locations.
Turi’s: 302 Broome St, New York, NY 10002
Turi’s is an upcoming upscale Mediterranean restaurant-bar, co-owned by attendees Artur Gjaci and Elis Malaj, who also own Elis Wine Bar and Restaurant near Columbia University. Turi’s conceptually divides itself across its two-story space. The first floor will be a traditional restaurant, while the second floor will provide a lounge space for guests.
Partners
In total, 12 of What Now New York’s partners attended the event, totaling 23 guests. These partners offer tools and solutions for restaurant owners, from beverage services through Keurig Dr. Pepper to music licensing from Soundtrack.
Formerly Heartland, Auris had a strong showing at the Accelerate event with five representatives, including Namita Verma, Amy Culwell, Nina Goyco, Christina Bushko and Kevin Green. Auris helps businesses of various sizes with payroll solutions.
POS service companies Global Payments, represented by Shaun Conboy and Cooper Cook, and SpotOn, represented by Carole Mac, George Fabre and Mackenzie Murnan, attended the event, discussing their point-of-sale services and solutions.
Though many partners have a nationwide presence, What Now New York also had local partners attend, like Michael Lynch and Carlos Acevedo from A Plus Towels, which offers linen services for restaurants, providing clean tablecloths and uniforms. Or Orli LeWinter from Sign Expo, a local business that makes custom signs for businesses like restaurants.
Stay tuned for future Accelerate events from What Now Media Group in 2026. 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.
