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Ha’s new bistro is even better than the snack bar.
Bistrot Ha has successfully evolved from Ha's Snack Bar, enhancing its brand strategy by offering a more sophisticated dining experience with improved ambiance, service, and menu options. This transition highlights the importance of continuous innovation and customer engagement in the restaurant industry, suggesting that brands must adapt and elevate their offerings to maintain relevance and attract a loyal customer base.
Feed Me: Ha’s new bistro is even better than the snack bar. "This was just a preview, I’m probably not even supposed to write about it." Good morning. My heart is with Brown University and the Jewish community after the shootings this weekend. I’m so sorry and sad for the fear so many people are feeling today. I spent the weekend being hosted at holiday parties in my friends’ homes.
Yesterday, I worked on a few projects in the library at FIT before doing some Christmas shopping in SoHo (it made me happy to bump into some of you) and getting udon at Raku. Today’s newsletter is stacked: J Lee reviewed Bistrot Ha (J Lee heads rejoice), Soho House’s plans for a spa and fourth location in New York, Danny Meyer is opening a Manhattan hotel restaurant, a New York Times-Meta duo bought an embroidery store, and Olivia Nuzzi is going on The Adam Friedland Show. Are you a college senior? Do you know any college seniors?
Please take Feed Me’s Class of 2026 Survey about the job application process. Expense Account is a series on Feed Me by semi-anonymous restaurant critic J Lee. In this column, you’ll be reading about Business Guy Restaurants — the bistros, sushi spots and lounges that are best rationalized with the involvement of a corporate card. In his last column, he wrote about an $150 burger. Expense Account is a series on Feed Me by semi-anonymous restaurant critic J Lee. In this column, you’ll be reading about Business Guy Restaurants — the bistros, sushi spots and lounges that are best rationalized with the involvement of a corporate card.
In his last column, he wrote about an $150 burger. Bistrot Ha, LES. “This weekend I got to preview Bistrot Ha, the follow-up to the absurdly popular and delicious Ha’s Snack Bar. It’s at 137 Eldridge, right around the corner from the snack bar. I didn’t think it was possible, but the bistro is better than the snack bar in every conceivable way. I’m here to report that: oops, they did it again. They nailed it. They’re going back to back. The space is bigger, it’s the perfect size, the room is warm and alive, in a way that feels distinctly European. There are beautiful tiles and they nailed the lighting. They have a coat check.
The service is on point and the team is amazing, even during the preview this weekend. Everything felt seamless and natural. Their new linens feel so good in your hands. They also have a big wine list stocked full of my favorite wines, plus a full liquor license so now you can get a martini or a lychee cosmo, like I did. “I’m wondering if it’ll get to the point where the line for the snack bar and the line for the bistro will meet and kiss, halfway around the block.
Maybe they’ll form a mutant double line that’ll extend to Time Again, and then go all the way to Dimes Square and back.” For those of you who have eaten at Ha’s Snack bar, this is going to be hard for you to believe, but the food at the bistro is better. Somehow they’ve managed to make it work with basically just a hot plate and an oven over at the snack bar, but at the bistro they finally have a real kitchen, and their full potential is about to be unleashed. Scary hours are upon us. They can finally grill a steak, and they’ve got a deep fryer churning out truly perfect french fries.
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The article discusses a successful rebranding in the restaurant industry, which is significant but not groundbreaking, and offers insights that are relevant to brand strategy professionals.