Customers Could Be Hungry For Netflix Bites

Netflix is opening its first pop-up restaurant, “Netflix
NFLX
Bites,” showcasing creations from chefs featured on shows available on the streaming service, including Chef’s Table, Iron Chef, Is It Cake? and Drink Masters.

The pop-up opens at Short Stories Hotel in Los Angeles on June 30.

“Have you ever watched Chef’s Table (the longest-running nonfiction series on Netflix), Is It Cake? or Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend and wished you could dive into your TV to sample the delectable dishes on screen? Now, for the first time, you can get a taste of the shows you know and love through this limited-time pop-up restaurant,” Netflix wrote in a press release.

In an online discussion last week on RetailWire, some members of the RetailWire BrainTrust saw the move creating effective synergies between what is on the screen and what is on the plate.

“Netflix Bites is a marketing opportunity that will attract avid fans and new viewers with a culinary and content feast,” wrote Lisa Goller, B2B content strategist. “Consumers’ appetite for media can translate into new service and merchandising extensions that drive growth. If Netflix Bites succeeds, more streamers will consider adopting a retailtainment model.”

“Commercializing shows via merchandise or partnerships with fast-food brands is fairly common and is often a huge success,” wrote Neil Saunders, managing partner at Global Data. “However, commercializing using a dining experience is a fantastic opportunity that allows fans to immerse themselves in a much more holistic way.”

“This is a double play for Netflix,” wrote Karen S. Herman, CEO at Gustie Creative. “I like the immersive dining experience that Netflix Bites offers. It is a creative homage to foodies who are a dedicated lifeline for the network. Netflix Bites is also a smart way to test the waters of experiential dining and launching in LA is a perfect start.”

Michelin-starred chefs Dominque Crenn and Curtis Stone are among the chefs collaborating on the menu. “This screen-to-table experience of giving fans a taste of what happens on camera is just awesome,” said Mr. Stone.

On the BrainTrust, though, some experts’ enthusiasm was tempered by the question of how far the concept could scale.

“I like the idea – there are plenty of entertainment newsletters etc. who make food and drink ‘pairing’ recommendations for what to have while you watch the latest show,” wrote Nikki Baird, vice president of strategy at Aptos. “What Netflix is doing is more experiential than that – taste the actual dish that was made in this show – but that is very difficult to scale. Which makes this solidly a marketing ploy, or maybe an attempt to butter up all the critics living in LA, but not a sustainable business model.”

“The idea may work as a pop-up in highly selected markets and venues,” wrote Ryan Mathews, CEO of Black Monk Consulting. “But, while the chefs are consulting on the menu the article seems to be suggesting they won’t actually be preparing it, and there’s the rub.”

Netflix likened the pop-up to its Netflix “live experiences” such as “The Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience” and “Stranger Things: The Experience” which have recently toured U.S. cities.

“Great marketing move,” wrote Mel Kleiman, president of Humetrics. “If they don’t expand the idea in-house, it becomes a great opportunity for a franchise concept.”

Netflix Bites represents the streaming service’s first restaurant experience tied to its content.

The most successful movie or TV-themed restaurant is Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, which was inspired by the 1994 film Forrest Gump and operates more than 30 locations worldwide. Themed bars and restaurants, however, have become fairly common. People magazine recently profiled a number of pop-culture themed restaurants, including ones celebrating Golden Girls, Top Gun, Star Wars, Breaking Bad, Seinfeld and the Lord Of The Rings.

One BrainTrust member, though, did not see food as the type of thing to be tied into media at all.

“Coming from an immigrant Italian family where food and family are closely tied and celebration of family moments is a very special and cherished opportunity, it seems odd to anchor around social media and film,” wrote John Orr, SVP of retail at Ceridian
CDAY
. “Call it old school, but this appears to be a pop-up fad that will not have long legs on it. Therefore, I believe it is a short lived promotional value at best.”

Ms. Baird suggested that there might be another angle that could work better than what is currently on the table.

“I think it would be more interesting to partner with chains or local restaurants (and delivery partners) to offer more like the pairing – here’s what to eat and drink while watching Extraction 2 or whatever. Order it now from DoorDash and have it to your house in less than an hour,” wrote Ms. Baird.