Well, that was a week.
I do not want to ignore what happened, but there is not a whole lot more I can add from an NYC data perspective right now. As we have many city council and citywide races approaching, it is up to us to decide who will represent and fight for our values of our city. We should not take voting lightly, which is why I took a deeper look at our congress last week.
Follow @2xParked for insights as we learn more in real time.
There are not many places to escape, but I do not believe sitting in front of the news 24/7 can be good for us. We need to give our minds a rest at some point. For example, we can not ignore the fact that our restaurants are still struggling, and will continue to struggle in the winter months, regardless (or “irregardless”) of Wednesday’s attack on democracy. Food is an escape for me.
Per a reader suggestion, 2xParked is taking a closer look at a weekend activity common among New Yorkers prior to Covid: brunch.
Brunch
Brunch is not exactly my cup of tea (I’d rather drink hot chocolate), but it was a very popular activity on Saturdays and Sundays for New Yorkers prior to the shutdown. I decided to analyze the NYC brunch scene by looking at the brunch menus of the top 50 brunch restaurants on Yelp. (Extra resource: Here is a good write-up on the business of breakfast for context).
I love the diversity of flavors from those cooking and eating the food. It has made brunch a much less standardized meal than one might expect. Even the most common meals, such as pancakes (48%), French toast (54%), and scrambled eggs (52%) only appeared on half of the menus. We have seen with the quick rise of popularity of items such as avocado toast (48%) and shakshuka (14%), a “typical” brunch menu will be less and less a thing when we are able to get back to normal. I am excited to eat what new concoctions were created, but not shared yet, during this time.
What I was a bit shocked by was the price for a really good brunch. I investigated several elements to the brunch to conclude what it might cost you for a good meal.
Drinks
We find below the distribution of price per drink. To properly read a boxplot, the box contains 50% of the data points. For example, 50% of the Orange Juice items on the menus are between $3.50 and $5.00. That also means 50% of the OJ prices are greater than $5 or less than $3.50. Basically, as a non-coffee drinker, OJ is a much more expensive late-morning alternative than coffee.
Fortunately for my wallet, I would also prefer a mimosa if I had to get a breakfast cocktail, which is often the cheaper alternative.
Food
The food portion is a bit more filling. One often goes to brunch with a preference of the category of entrée one will order, so I split the comparisons into three groups: sweet, light/normal, and heavy/filling options.
The sweet category has what we more often think of as breakfast foods. I also included yogurt as a comparison since it comes with berries and granola. I can not believe yogurt costs this much, but I guess it is not priced to maximize purchases. Rather, it maximizes profit. The high margin compensates for the potential loss of not having someone ordering something a bit more expensive, while also providing an attractive alternative to the menu for someone.
Having some sort of egg or toast is normal savory fare at brunch. Breakfast sandwiches provide for great value to the customer and restaurant. Bread is cheap to acquire and very filling.
Of course, there are those who decide to take advantage of the mid-day meal and reduce the probability to 0% of being hungry before dinner time. Why not have a late-morning steak?
Finally, we do not nearly get as much potatoes or bacon as we desire from the main course, which is where the “sides” portion of the menu comes into play. Interestingly, French fries cost significantly more than other types of potatoes, such as baked potato, hash brown, or home fries.
Costs
Prepare to bring a few crisp 20’s or a credit card if you plan on eating out. Here is the probability of how much you might spend (tax and tip are included) if you get a drink, an alcoholic drink, an entrée, and one side.
Even if you decide on skipping the side and alcoholic drink, there is no such thing as a free brunch.
NYC Open Data Week
This newsletter would not be possible if not for all of the easily accessible data sources about our great city. There is enough free information to answer the questions you want to ask. A large part of this is due to the City’s Open Data Law which was signed into law in March 2012.
Additionally, the deadline to submit to NYC Open Data Week 2021 has been extended to next Thursday, January 14th at 10PM. You have 2.5 more days to submit your session or workshop ideas. If you have a fully flushed out idea or just a nub of one, submit it before Thursday, January 14th at 10PM!
I would love to hear any of your ideas!
MayorModel
I remember the 2013 mayor election, a competition between a former public advocate, two former comptrollers, a former city council speaker, and US representative. It was a who’s who of NYC politics. As a citizen disengaged from politics at that time, I had only heard of Anthony Weiner prior to the campaigns, and it had nothing to do with his politics.
It is easy to forget from the media side that it is easier for people to live life without knowing what is going on in local politics as we are all engulfed in it. For many New Yorkers, this race will not be a blip on their radar until April or May. There is a long way to go. My feeling is any publicity, unless it is devastating, is good publicity. This bodes well for Andrew Yang, whose comments of having to work in a 2-BR apartment expanded his brand throughout the papers.
"Brunch" was drawn by Ink&thyme, drawing life's unforgettable moments. For unique art drawn just for you, check them out on Facebook and on Instagram.
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Comments? Suggestions? Questions? Email me at 2xParked@gmail.com.