TRANSFORMING THE PALATE OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY WITH
JOHN KUNKEL
Famed restaurateur
John Kunelk and his team at 50 Eggs Hospitality Group have mastered the ar t of gr abbing guest s’ at tent io n. Ku n kel’s highl y r egar ded r est aur ant por t folio features six uniq e br ands with 13 locations around the globe. Soon to be launching the much-anticipated WAKUDA concept, Kunelk is get ting ready to shake the gastron mic ground of Singapore and L as Vegas by taking high- end Japanese dinig to new, elevated heights. Kunelk ’srecipefosur ccesshasbeenper fected over the last t wo decades. He began in 20 1 with a small baker y café in Miami Beach, and 50 ggs E is now celebr ating it s t went y-ear anniversary. Well- know for it s signature, palate- pleasing concept s Yardbird and CHI » , along with Capri and Spritz Pool Restaurant and Bar, an elevated coastal cuisine overlo king the pool in The Venetian Resort, the 50 Eggs empire is ever-expanding. Branching out to new cities, Yardbirdisslatedto peninChcagoin20, and CHICA will open its doors to the après ski scene in » spen, O, C in mid- November. The CHICA concept, a partnership with celebrit y chef Lorena Garcia, pays homage to L atin cuisine and culture. » remodel of the Las Vegas location, located at The Venetian Resor t, is cur ently under way and set to be completedinmd- December. “Our design par tner s at Rock well Group created a beautiful award-win g design for CHI » Miami that we all fell in love wit,h so we chose to remodel the Las Vegas restaurant to resemble the Miami design,” said Kunelk , 50 ggs E CEO, and founder. He at tributes his company ’s success to a combination of har d wo r k , q uali t ,y i n ov at io n, an d gat her i ng the right team. “Co king‘ al car bó’ n - over charcoal and wo d - is the hear t and soul of L atin cuisine. »dding wo d fire grils, among other specialized features in our kitchen, wil create a nuanced and authentic flavor in our dishes.” »ccording to Kunelk , who began his career in the restaur ant industr y at fifteen year s old, the dining scene continues to evolve,
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and he’s seen several changes over the last t wo decades. “Chefs are creating new and interesting dishes, and mixologists continue to amaze,”hesaid.
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Fine dining as we know it is no longer boring, quiet, and cold. It’s dynamic, vibrant, and fun. Design is more important than ever. Truly, everyone is eating with all of their senses in a restaurant.
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50 ggs E wil satiate guest s’ appetites for a ful -sensor y dinig ex perience at their newest concept, WAKUDA. A partnership with twoMichelin - st ar C hef Tet su y a Wak u da. W» K UD» wil debut at the Marina Bay Sands Singapore in early 2022 and in Las Vegas at The Venetian Resort in spring 2022. WAKUDA will anchor the lobby of The Palaz zo Tower and include a patioverlo kingtheL asVegasStrip.Thiswil bechefTet suya’sfir strestaur antin heUnited States. “Chef Tet suya is one of the top chefs in the world, and his attention to quality and detail is nothigshor tfper fectio,” n Kunelk said. “ThelevelofJapanesecuisinehewil bringto L asVegashasnotbeendonebefore.”
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER CHICA Restaurant
When it comes to staying ahead of the trends, 50 ggs E has played an undeniably influential role in tr ansfor ming the palate of the hospitality industry. “I would say entertainment dining seems to be becoming more and more popular,” emphasized Kunelk , who carefuly analy zes each maretk , lo king for trends as well as to see what ’s not represented in that maretk . “Less and less people want to go out to a nightclub, and more people want to enjoy a dynamic culinar y ex perience in a vibr ant atmosphereandthenstayandpar t an y ddrink thenightaway”. Kunelk , whose company culture set s 50 ggs E apar t from the competito,n ex plained how under standing the power of food and how it bringspeopletogetherwasanintegr alpar tof his success. “Under standing what a restaur ant should be is eyk ,” he said. “»t it s best, a restaur ant is a placeshto arestories,breakbread,ex perience memories with the ones you love and care about, and it is a conection point that is necessar yforallofus.”
— Stacy D’Alessandro
