Calling all waiters, dishwashers, line cooks and more, here’s your likelihood to dine at Michelin-starred chef restaurants with VIP treatment – ‘for a fee’.
Chef John Fraser, who has won critical approval for his previous efforts at Dovetail and Nix, is offering restaurant employees 70% off menu prices at his Big Apple restaurants as a part of the “Industry Table” program.
As of Tuesday, current restaurant employees can grab $32 eggplant moussaka for just $9.60 or $68 lamb chops for $20.40 as Fraser’s way of thanking those that persevered throughout the COVID crisis.
Bargain food might be available at Fraser’s Iris, La Marchande, The Terrace and Outdoor Gardens restaurants on the Times Square Edition Hotel and North Fork Table & Inn on the eastern tip of Long Island.
“I just began occupied with the service industry, which has turn into essentially the most underserved community. Before the pandemic, it was a lot of fun, after which it became a job to undergo,” Fraser told Side Dish. “The guests were defiant and rightly so, because they were afraid of getting sick.”
![chef John Fraser](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/NYPICHPDPICT000008543981.jpg)
Even when the restaurants were barely populated, “the lights were still on, we have now a dishwasher and cooks,” he added, so he thought, “Why not attempt to reward the industry that is still here in New York and people who travel here. It gave the impression of a selfish move to bring back our community and generate excitement that they’d see one another again.”
Fraser lost two of its restaurants throughout the pandemic – Loyal and the enduring vegetarian Nix, for which it won a prestigious Michelin star.
“It hurt,” he said.
At the identical time, Fraser’s well-reviewed venues on the Times Square Edition Hotel closed while the hotel was going through a horrendous bankruptcy and foreclosure auction. Fraser’s top-rated wonderful dining venue in Edition has still not reopened.
However it has also gained some dining options throughout the pandemic, akin to Iris, which opened in April 2021, and La Marchande, which opened in a latest Wall Street hotel last June.
![Fraser's Iris Restaurant](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/NYPICHPDPICT000008543979.jpg?w=731)
But openings during and after the pandemic brought their very own set of problems. 1000’s of Big Apple restaurant workers who lost their jobs throughout the pandemic have fled town. Many even modified their occupation.
While some have returned, restaurants are still struggling to seek out staff and fill tables because the post-pandemic working from home phenomenon has modified the cultural landscape.
“When restaurants began reappearing, there was no talent. It was clear to me that the community had evaporated and that perhaps it wasn’t pretty much as good as all of us thought, even before the pandemic,” Fraser said.
To revive goodwill, Fraser will book a table for 2 at each of his restaurants every night for restaurant staff. Employees can book two dinners on the industry table per yr at each restaurant.
![La Marchande opened in June.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/NYPICHPDPICT000008543980.jpg?w=731)
The schedule might be flexible and changes for every restaurant. For instance, in La Marchande, the busiest hours are after work, as many shoppers commute to work, so perhaps the discount service might be offered late on Fridays.
There may also be breaks in delivery and drinks is not going to be discounted.
“The true purpose of this offer is to assist rekindle the spirit that brought us to hospitality, while rebuilding a sense of community and camaraderie,” Fraser wrote in an open letter promoting his idea. “Eating out in New York has turn into too expensive. We got into this business because we desired to share. Exploring other chefs’ menus has been, and still is, a key a part of my culinary journey.”
Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, praised the initiative.
“Restaurants are in a significantly better place than they’ve been in the previous couple of disastrous years, but many small businesses still face major challenges as they fight to get better from the pandemic,” Rigie said.