If a way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then what's true in love is true
in business too. At least, it is in New York City.
With some of the most upscale eateries and trendy downtown diners in the world, where
you decide to take a client for lunch can be just as vital as what you talk about
between bites in the Big Apple.
Indeed, it's widely believed the term "power lunch" it self was first coined in 1979
article by Lee Eisenberg, the then-editor-in-chief of Esquire Magazine, while writing
about a new lunch scene that had popped-up in midtown Manhattan.
And while the food may have changed, it seems as many deals are brokered over the buffet
counter as ever before. Although individuals are generally spending less on eating out,
corporate spending is currently the largest driver of growth at fine dining and casual
restaurants across New York, according to American Express.
Tim Zagat is the co-founder and CEO of the influential Zagat restaurant survey. He says
that even during the peak of the financial crisis, lavish power lunches -- involving food
bills as outlandish as the transactions on the table -- were still commonplace.
"I could tell you 30 or 40 restaurants in New York off the top of my head, where you would
find a full house, and nobody is spending less than $100 for lunch," he said.
Suffice it to say; the man knows a thing or two about the refined art of power lunching. So
from big-spenders to penny-pinchers, here Zagat picks a spot to suit every budget.