Friday, October 23, 2009

Social Interaction and Food

Restaurants need to be more than just a place to go and eat. They should be more of a social experience, a place to hand with friends and meet new people. Food has an incredible way of bringing people together. Think of the dining experiences in the middle ages at the king's castle. It was more than just eating, it was about the social experience. Nick Haque's Koi restaurant is one of the few restaurants that has mastered this concept for the modern consumer.

Just like the people present in the king's court in the middle ages, people at Koi are generally affluent individuals or celebrities. This creates a prestige for the restaurant that adds to the social/dining experience. Being in the presence of like-minded individuals allows for easier social interactions and has increased the success of these lounge restaurants. Although Nick Hawk (his pseudonym) has opened more than one location of his restaurant, he still manages to create an impressive social atmosphere for each.