Introduction
Mann (2011) observes that the pop up restaurants are an update of the underground supper club. They are legit, licensed, open to the public domain, and the chefs featured are of high profile preparing and serving delicious and quality dishes. According to Mann (2011) pop up restaurants are not stationed in a particular place.
The difference with traditional restaurants is that they operate on a given time frame like a month, day or a week. After the period expires they can relocate to another location and start up another pop up restaurant. They are temporal restaurants that have operated during festivals and parties. They are short lived and in most cases operate from privately owned homes, open spaces like former factories among others.
The emerging trend of pop up restaurants has been necessitated by the pop culture. Pop up restaurants in the UK emerged and become popular in the 2000s but they have become common everywhere and they no longer feature as new phenomenon. The target of the pop restaurants is the urbanite professionals of the aged 21 to 35 years.
The social media platform is used by diners to make follow ups on the events being held up by the pop up restaurants. By the use of face book, MySpace, twitter, blogosphere among other social networks, they are able to follow up pop up restaurants movements. In most of the occasions, reservations are done online because the goers are technologically savvy.
Young chefs who know what the youth want in terms of the menu provisions play integral part in the running of pop up restaurants. Young chefs open up the pop up restaurants and use the underused facilities and cutlery. Sometimes it can be experimental because the young chefs don’t want to risky in opening a real restaurant. De Certeau and Mayol (1998, p. 103) note that weekends are the best days that festivals are organised. This could be prudent time for individuals to catch up for a meal in pop up restaurants.
Analysis
According to Mann (2011) pop up restaurants offer chefs the opportunity to experiment new dishes. This makes them famous and their business can be expanded and marketed by through the various social media networks. The risks that are feared by traditional restaurants in testing and experimenting new dishes is not experienced by pop up restaurants as they are short lived in a particular area.
The advantage of pop up restaurants as acknowledged by Mann (2011) is that they need no rent and employees need no pay benefits. This is because, they are temporal and the staff used in operation is limited or in other occasions non existent. Another likely advantage is that they need not develop a menu that is consistent and what is served every night is used as experimental (Mann 2011).
Unlike restaurants there is no setting of the operational mechanisms and schedules. With the emerging trends where the urbanites dine out twice a week, the pop up restaurants act as an option for young couples. Diners can organize a pop up because the meals served are offered at affordable prices and the dishes are creatively prepared targeting the age group of 21 to 35 years.
Pop ups restaurants are easy to operate although there is challenge of start up capital and the venues at sometimes. The reason why they are easy to operate is because they do not incur extra overhead costs. Pop up restaurants have offered jaded urban foodies the chance to change their eating experiences (Mann 2011), and allowed chefs utilize their innovative skills with least financial risk (Mintz 2011).
According to Beardsworth and Keil (1997, p.100) the eating trends have changed and people are opting to eat out in public places away from the family setting. Pine and Gilmore (1999, p.4) note that the changes in economic times and experiences has prompted changes in running of business. For instance, the traditional restaurants have been replaced by the pop up restaurants.
The service area and kitchen of a pop up restaurant
The setting of a pop up restaurants should be accommodative for a large number of people. However, the kitchen setting is usually small given that few chefs are available. Most of the venues where pop up restaurants are set are usually crowded with people. According to Baraban and Durocher (2010, p.165) a kitchen and its interior should have a greater ambience and impact to the front part.
Being clean, a kitchen can captivate and please customers hence increasing their numbers. On the other hand, the service stations of a restaurant should be located at the in the dinning area to allow easy customer services. Although they are usually temporal, pop up restaurants should be accommodative enough for many people.
The kitchens should be clean, and fitted with exhaust heat hoods that remove extra heat and smoke (Baraban &Durocher (2010, p.166). Some of the equipments found in a popup restaurant are Preparation Tables, Combination Oven, Hand wash Stations, Under counter Freezer, Double Bowl Sink and Wash Hand Basin, Six Burner Range and Oven, Upright Refrigerator, Mobile Canopy, Hot cupboard, Under counter Refrigerator, Racking, Gastronomy Trolley, and Counter Top Heated Gantry
Key:
- Hot cupboard
- Preparation Tables
- [a, b, c, d, e, f] tables and chairs
- Hand wash Stations
- feamle washrooms
- Male washrooms
- Under counter Refrigerator and Under counter Freezer
- Gastronomy Trolley
- Double Bowl Sink and Wash Hand Basin
- Six Burner Range and Oven
- Mobile Racking
- Upright Refrigerators
- Food stuff racks
- Cutlery and utensils cupboards
- Combination Ovens
Menu in pop restaurants
The various dishes offered in pop up restaurants are usually innovative and affordable by most diners. The foods served in pop up restaurants are not common to the diners at normal occasions. Long (2004, p.22) note that people have the urge to taste new foods that are not served in their culture. The chefs have an understanding in terms of the food requirements the diners usually need. According to Barrows and Powers (2009, p.323) chef should be able to plan appetizing meals so as to captivate the customers.
As it is the case with pop up restaurants the dishes are usually tantalizing, delicious and appetizing to the customers. As described by Barrows and Powers (2009, p.323) a chef should be the manager and be able to cook, buy and serve quality food. This case applies to chefs involved in pop up restaurants.
The most reason given why people eat out is need for change and experience. In their survey Warde and Martens (2000, p.47 ) found that the reasons why people out are to get a new experience, have a break from cooking, socializing, partying, preventing hunger, liking a particular food and having a treat. All these reasons have encouraged the increase in the number of the pop up restaurants in the UK and other parts of the world. Eating different food out instead of the occasionally ate food bring in new and different experience all together (Warde & Martens 2000, p. 47)
The menu of a pop up restaurant is usually simple but innovative. The reason why the menu is kept simple is the aspect of the surrounding and the preferences of the people that may be hard to know. According to Paskin (2011) if a pop restaurant uses already existing kitchen brigade, modification is required if the foods being cooked and served are complex and hot. Paskin (2011) note that food served is the most important thing and it should meet the expectation of customers.
Therefore, the dishes need to be delicious and tasteful. This markets a pop up restaurant and one can be hired for same if events or party is emerges. The other factor that is considered in pop up restaurant is the price of the menu. According to Paskin (2011) the prices need to the affordable and customer friendly as this captivates the client base.
For example, if one is pooping at a festival at the local area, passersby may be tempted to pop up if the prices are friendly. The prices can depend on the season and the locality of the restaurant. Beardsworth and Keil (1997, p. 102) eating together in a new environment symbolizes togetherness. People can collectively meet in pop up restaurants and experiment new foods with their friends or relatives.
Conclusion
The pop up restaurants are temporal restaurants that are short lived from a day, a week or a month. In most case, they are set during the festive seasons and they are currently dominating the hospitality sector. Like the traditional restaurants, the pop up restaurants are licensed and recognized by the laws.
They operate on low budgets and few employees. This makes them risk free to instances of bankruptcy and other related risks. They don’t require rent and payment of benefits to employees. The dishes prepared by the chefs are innovative and chefs don’t bother setting up a consistent menu. This is because the period of a pop up restaurant is a particular area is short-lived.
The target group of these emerging trends is the professional urbanites of the age 21 to 35 years. The chefs’ experiment with the food they cook and serve in the pop up restaurants. The interior of the pop up restaurants is well decorated and captivating to accommodate customers at the given timeframe. Marketing is achieved through the social net works that are also used in making reservations online.
The reasons why most urbanites eat outside is to experience new change, break from cooking, socializing, partying preventing hunger liking a particular food and having a treat. The dishes are usually appetizing, captivating, and tantalizing. The prizes at the pop up restaurants are pocket friendly and affordable.
Reference List
Barrows, C. W., & Powers, T. F., 2009, Introduction to management in the hospitality industry. Hoboken, N.J., John Wiley & Sons.
Baraban, R. S., & Durocher, J. F., 2010, Successful restaurant design. Hoboken, N.J., John Wiley & Sons.
Beardsworth, A., & Keil, T., 1997, Sociology on the Menu: An invitation to the study of food and society. New York: Rutledge.
De Certeau, M., Giard, L., & Mayol, P., 1998, The practice of everyday life Volume 2: Living & Cooking. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Dicum, G., 2010. At Pop-Ups, Chefs Take Chances With Little Risk. Web.
Long, L. M., 2004, Culinary Tourism. Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky.
Mann, M., 2011. Pop-Up Restaurants Popping Up Around America. Web.
Mintz, J., 2011. Fly by night: Restaurants pop up, then disappear. Web.
Paskin, B., 2011. How to run a pop-up restaurant. Web.
Pine, B. J., & Gilmore, J. H.,1999, The experience economy work is theatre & every business a stage. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Warde, A., & Martens, L., 2000, Eating Out: Social Differentiation, Consumption and Pleasure. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.