New York-area restaurant owners met on the Lower East Side on Tuesday, October 22, to discuss their current and future plans and share progress on their businesses.
The free event took place at Apartment 5, a new cocktail bar at 157 Ludlow Street. Over two dozen representatives from restaurants featured on What Now New York attended, along with a handful of industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners. The eclectic yet not-so-serious establishment features five distinct rooms, each with its own ambiance and curated cocktail menu. Customers are encouraged to make a reservation if interested in attending.
During a presentation by Caleb Spivak, the Founder and CEO of What Now Media Group, local entrepreneurs and business representatives shared their experiences. They updated their progress and reflected on the lessons from opening brick-and-mortar establishments in New York. Key takeaways from the discussion included the importance of passion for achieving success, the necessity of pivoting effectively—especially in response to emergencies—and the significance of building connections within the community.
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This is the type of essential service that restaurant owners can learn about at Accelerate events, where they can connect with service providers and experts who can solve their problems or questions.
Several franchise owners from local chain restaurants were in attendance, including Steven Victor of Morelia Gourmet Paletas and Alex Laracy, the local franchise owner of Schmackary’s. Both businesses shared how far they’ve come since opening locations in Houston and where they hope to go.
“I was inspired to join the Schmackary’s brand when my then three-year-old son instantaneously fell in love with his first Schmackary’s cookie,” said Laracy. “There’s a warm, welcoming feeling in the stores, and after meeting Zach and Johnny, I knew I had to be a part of Schmackary’s. The brand is spreading Midwestern hospitality with delicious cookies all over the country, and I’m excited to be a part of their nationwide growth.”
Franchise owners weren’t the only participants. Several restaurant owners and business founders were also in attendance, such as Aaron Beener, the co-founder of Seasoned Vegan; Jesse Stein and Ryan Klepper of H&H Bagels; and Lorenzo Ramovecchi, the co-founder of Pastagasm. No matter the extent of their business experience, everyone provided each other with helpful insight that hopefully excelled each business in one way or another. The representative of H&H Bagels provided the group with additional insights into the company’s national expansion plans.
“Our hope is to finally bring the people, the customers, of the United States a real New York City bagel for once,” Rushin tells What Now New York last year. “We’re gonna bring the actual H&H Bagel experience to everyone in the country, so anyone that looks forward to, on the plane, coming to New York for bagels won’t necessarily have to do that anymore.”
To help guide these new and veteran business owners, What Now New York invited a handful of their network of Preferred Partners, such as Minako Garfinkel and Jason Lee, who represented SpotOn. This company focuses on point-of-sale systems and payment processing software. Mike Lynch and Carlos Acevedo represented A+ Towels and Linens, a premier partner for exceptional linen services, conveniently situated in Farmingdale.
After Caleb and the guests shared their tips, knowledge, and concerns, everyone mingled and shared their information, hoping to advance their business even further with some additional help.
What Now Media Group shares restaurant opening news in 31 cities across the U.S., breaking news and providing timely insight into yet-to-open brick-and-mortar businesses. The platform shares news of thousands of openings across all 31 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 2024. For more details, see the Accelerate page here.
