Gastronomics

Can Private Equity Scale (Good) Bagels?

Private equity firms and venture capitalists are investing millions in new bagel shops. Can they bring great bagels to towns and cities across the country? Or are bagels

Was the Price of Eggs a Conspiracy?

After the pandemic, eggs were the poster child for inflation. Experts said egg prices were high because of avian flu. But then, this summer, the Department of Justice cha

How to Run Your Dream Restaurant Like a Business

Great cooking is an art, and people make pilgrimages to restaurants that make us feel a certain way. But a restaurant is also a business. A notoriously hard business. So

Why a China Scholar Started a Tea Business

The state of tea in the United States is something of a national embarrassment. Josh Freedman started a tea business so more Americans can try and buy great teas from Chi

​How top chefs unknowingly do R&D for Applebee's

Imagine for a moment that you are a head chef. Not at The French Laundry or Alinea. Not at a local diner or greasy spoon. No. You're the head chef at a big chain like App

Aldi Is Unbundling the Grocery Store

Aldi, the cheap and quirky grocery store chain, is opening so many stores in the U.S. that it's on track to become the 2nd largest grocery chain within a few years. How

The secret life of the Domino's pizza tracker

You are probably familiar with the Domino's pizza tracker. What you may not know is that it is one of the most influential design innovations of all time. Its subtle bril

Introducing Gastronomics

Gastronomics is about the business of food. In each episode, host Alex Mayyasi talks to chefs, economists, and people with insights and stories about how economics shapes