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Unsurprisingly, Vancouver area restaurants saw a significant increase in business during the recent Olympics events. According to Ian Tostenson of the British Columbia Restaurant & Foodservices Association, local eateries, particularly those in the Olympic Zone, saw an increase of 100-300% in overall sales.

“The restaurants in the outer edges, I would say sales there were flat, which in the recession that we all have experience, is pretty good,” Tostenson said. “Sales had been trending negative.

Restaurants in the Yaletown area, located near multiple event venues, saw the largest increase in sales.  Beer and liquor sales were up over 300% across the city as well.

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Early this month, the Marriott hotel chain announced that new JW Marriott Marquis in Miami, scheduled to open in mid-2010, will feature the first Florida location of Chef Daniel Boulud’s db Bistro Moderne. Designed with the look and feel of a modern Parisian bistro, the restaurant will feature 18-foot ceilings, a bar and lounge, a street-level terrace, and two private dining rooms.

“db Bistro Moderne has a great urban energy to it that should fit in nicely in Downtown Miami and the city’s already superb dining scene,” says Boulud. “It’s known for being accessible and affordable, and for serving very comforting French cooking prepared with care and quality ingredients. And, yes, I admit we’re also known for serving a superb burger. It’s not the kind of formal French restaurant you save for a special occasion. It’s the kind you return to often for the dishes you love and remember and for the easy going feel of the place.”

The south Florida bistro is expected to open sometime during the fall, offering contemporary French-American cuisine. Boulud staffers General Manager German Alvarado and Executive Chef Jarrod Verbiak will man the new Miami location, with both gaining experience as former leads in other Boulud locations, including Cafe Boulud and DANIEL in New York and Daniel Boulud Brasserie in Las Vegas.

~Jennifer Heigl