Watch out, operators: Retailers are invading your turf by adding restaurants and cocktail events.
To draw customers into their brick-and-mortar locations, some retail stores are adding restaurants. While it was popular for U.S. department stores to run cafes and tea rooms, retailers getting into food today are embracing culinary and cocktail trends.
Tommy Bahama, which opened its first retail-restaurant “Island” location in the mid-‘90s, is opening a restaurant at its new flagship store in New York; its bar will have a sugarcane press for cocktails. Urban Outfitters now has two Terrain store/cafes that specialize in farm-to-table cuisine.
Meanwhile, other retailers are serving hors d’oeuvres and cocktails at special shopping event.
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