Being Italian and a New Yorker, now Boston–based, imagine my excitement upon learning that the NYC food institution Eataly recently opened an outpost in the Prudential Center in Boston’s Back Bay.
Following are 3 lessons meeting planners can take from Chef Mario Batali’s diverse and delicious foodie concept, Eataly.
Make it immersive
Eataly’s Mozzarella Lab offers tours of its mozzarella production, up close, from start to finish. During the 30-minute experience, experts demonstrate how to make the cheese from curds and boiling salted water and, at the end, participants get to try a sample fresh from the pot. Group F&B experiences can be immersive as well, whether that means bringing in an farmer to discuss about how he or she grows organic produce or a chef from a BBQ restaurant to share tips on smoking meat.
Choose only the best ingredients
Eataly’s beef commands the prices it does ($180 for 2 Piemontese porterhouses, 2 Prime Black Angus filet mignons and 2 Prime Black Angus rib eye steaks) because it’s so fresh, coming directly from a third-generation meat wholesaler in New Jersey. The truffles ($330 for 4 oz. of black winter truffles) are sourced from the most esteemed truffle distributor in the world, Urbani Tartufi. Today’s meeting attendee, just like the Eataly customer, is increasingly sophisticated and has the same high expectations.
Promote your best sellers
Eataly has created a collection of its most popular products for its online store, everything from olive oil to mandarin soda. Rely on the chef to tell you what is most popular for different types of groups and events. This will at least create an F&B roadmap to navigate from.
