What Now Media Group brought together members of New York City‘s food, beverage, and hospitality community for an Accelerate networking event on Thursday afternoon, August 6. Hosted by Mariah Medley, the gathering took place at Poppy East Village, located at 505 E 12th St., a New American restaurant focused on shareable plates, cocktails, and a chic atmosphere with live jazz.
The event allowed operators, owners, chefs, and managers to meet and connect with companies that provide services and products to the foodservice industry. What Now Regional Reporter Courtney McGinley also attended the Accelerate event, helping Medley and connecting face-to-face with those behind the businesses What Now has built strong relationships with.
With a wonderful turnout, 43 attendees from 32 companies were present. The group included 28 representatives from 20 concepts — spanning sit-down eateries, fast-casual spots, bars and taverns, cafés and coffee shops, nonprofits, and more — along with 15 ambassadors from a dozen of What Now’s partner businesses.
Hospitality Attendees
Kai Raziq, owner of Poppy East Village, and Leonora Malaj, who handles events for the restaurant, graciously hosted everyone at their East Village venue. The concept has flexible spaces and a private bar area in the back, perfect for gatherings like the Accelerate event.
Representing Sushi by Bou was Dan London, partner and VP at Simplevenue. The eatery recently opened a location in the Financial District inside The FIDI Hotel, part of the brand’s continuing national expansion.
George Fierro and Marcus Andrews, owners of The Alexander, represented the upcoming Med concept, located at 905 1st Ave. in Midtown East. Their new venue is taking over the former space of Ethos Gallery 51.
Dawn Eldridge, owner of The Sparrow, represented the modern French restaurant with an Art Deco-inspired dining room. Located at 185 Broadway in South Williamsburg, the eatery is a sister concept to Citroën, another venture of Eldridge’s.
Upcoming spot Thoné was represented by Giorgi Khabuliani and Irakli Jintcharadze, co-owners. An intimate Georgian bakery café and wine bar, the concept is planned for 501 E 6th St. in the East Village.
Another Georgian concept, Art Laboratory from 40 Avenue B, was present as well, with co-owners Giorgi Togonidze and Beka Gelashvili in attendance. The East Village project just debuted last week and combines art and food.
Jason Vincze, owner of Bar Andiamo, represented the Upper East Side business, located at 1705 1st Ave. The concept combines espresso, wine, and martinis, with all-day operating hours and weekday happy hour.
Bateman’s (245 Eldridge St.) co-owners Carlo Olcese and Natasha Van Duser attended. Currently under development, the cocktail bar will pair upscale drinks with intentional food offerings.
Roman Rakusa, co-owner, and Mark Lekhovitser, marketing director, represented Gastronaut. The upcoming concept, planned for 72 MacDougal St. in the West Village, will be a lounge with small plates bridging Eastern European and East Asian flavors, and a bar program developed by the team behind El Copitas in St. Petersburg.
Chi Chan, owner of Kine Musubi, attended to represent the upcoming business, which will be located at 128 W 72nd St. on the Upper West Side. The concept is described as Manhattan’s first Hawaii musubi shop.
Paola Lorenzzi, owner of Nuyores, represented the Peruvian-inspired restaurant, which is also owned by chef Oscar Lorenzzi and hospitality partner Jonathan Charnay. At 154 W 13th St. in the West Village, the eatery combines South American flavors and wines with a New York vibe.
Co-owners of Prosciutto, Gabriele Tosi and Mattia Casarin, attended. Their East Village restaurant, a walk-in-only establishment with a small dining room at 435 E 9th St., focuses on Italian cooking inspired by their Tuscan background.
Cathy Sun, owner of Little Pine, represented the restaurant. Little Pine opened earlier this year at 125 Division St. on the Lower East Side and specializes in Northeastern Chinese cuisine, including regional dishes and barbecue skewers.
Ken Baker, culinary director for Service (Rethink Food), attended on behalf of the organization. Rethink Food (116 W Houston St.) is a nonprofit focused on creating a more sustainable and equitable food system through partnerships with restaurants and programs to donate food for meals for those in need.
Dana Schoolsky, chief of staff for Rooted, represented the growing fast-casual restaurant group. The eatery, which debuted its flagship in 2023, recently announced it will open a second location at 581 Hudson St. in Manhattan’s West Village.
Sophie Cox, marketing representative for Clara’s, attended on behalf of the concept. A classic sports bar, the business is in the midst of expansion, moving into Manhattan to 393 2nd Ave. after planting its original roots in Bushwick.
Kim Ross, marketing director for Ninth Ward, represented the New Orleans French Quarter-themed bar, which is currently closed for renovations. Located at 180 2nd Ave. in the East Village, the concept is part of The Church Group’s portfolio.
Mae Niel, co-owner of The Stand West, attended to represent the venue. It’s an offshoot location (407 W 15th St. in Chelsea) of The Stand Restaurant & Comedy Club, which combines dining with live comic shows.
Two representatives, Raghav Gupta and Shivani Saboo, attended as partners for an unnamed bar and tavern concept planned to open next spring at 98 Rivington St. on the Lower East Side. Yvan Wang, owner of an upcoming venture coined YW Coffee, also attended the event.
Partner Attendees
Rob Kondratick, sales representative for A Plus Towels, represented the company’s linen and uniform services. The company works with businesses on commercial towel, linen, and uniform needs.
Darin Brindisi, SPA representative for Auris, represented the payroll and HR company. Auris provides payroll, benefits, hiring and onboarding, time and attendance, compliance, and other HR services for more than 50,000 small and midsize businesses.
Jason Hirth, CPA with ClarkHirth, represented the accounting and CPA firm. His role brought accounting and financial-services expertise into the event.
Scott Kipnis and Shaun Conboy, both SRMs with Global Payments – Genius Point of Sale, represented the company’s restaurant payment and POS services. Genius provides an all-in-one system designed for foodservice businesses.
Devon Bibbens, partner account manager, and Maura Stransky, senior partner marketing manager, represented Human Interest. The company is an employer 401(k) provider that focuses on retirement-plan solutions for small businesses.
Minako Garfinkle, account executive for inKind, represented the guest-acquisition company. InKind operates a restaurant-focused platform that helps restaurants attract customers while giving diners incentives and payment options.
Emma Bergeron, regional account executive for Keurig Dr Pepper, represented the beverage company. KDP’s portfolio includes major soft-drink, coffee, energy, and hydration brands.
Madison Mauger, account executive for OpenTable, represented the reservation platform. OpenTable connects diners with more than 70,000 restaurant partners, with tools for managing bookings and guest relationships.
Kate Loftus, sales associate for SpotOn, represented the company’s POS and merchant-services business. SpotOn provides restaurant technology and payment solutions designed to help operators manage transactions and other aspects of restaurant operations.
Kyle Faulkner, business development representative, and Valerie Smilansky, partnerships representative, attended for Virnika.ai, a phone-automation company focused specifically on restaurants.
Jose Mieles, sales executive for Restaurant Technologies, Inc., represented the company. Specializing in automated cooking-oil management, its services are designed to help restaurants be more efficient while reducing labor involved in handling and disposing of used oil.
Kevin Martinez, sales representative for General Welding Supply Corp., represented the company’s beverage-carbonation services.
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.
Stay tuned for future Accelerate events from What Now Media Group in 2026. For more details, see the Accelerate page here.
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