The basics of pop-up restaurants | via FnBReport
Alternatives to traditional dining establishments had long been neighborhood fixtures even before the concept of restaurant pop-ups was introduced. In the US, the demand for “underground dining” reached a definite peak during the Prohibition Era, when prohibition roadhouses and underground speakeasy clubs became major dining destinations. The end of that era saw an upsurge in what were then called supper clubs—high-end, nightclub-style dining destinations.
Such expectations are obviously difficult to manage, but the key is to bridge the gap between those expectations and the limits of the pop-up design. It’s almost impossible to temper the expectations of diners, so try to control what you can by knowing which aspects of the setup you can use to your advantage. Will Guidara of Eleven Madison Park puts it best: “You have to understand that you're walking into something different.