hotsnack: gray in the machine

If you’re having dinner tonight night at Café Gray, listen closely and you will hear a faint hum, the sound of the PR machine cranking into high gear. The cause and affect of public relations is a simple equation. Information + media = press coverage. But it becomes complex calculus when you add in the variables of what exact details are revealed, when they are disseminated and to whom. Long before I was a snack – I was a flack. I have been on both sides of the publicity dance. Over drinks one evening with some blogosphere conspirators I was explaining some of the finer points of play, which I had assumed that they all knew. No, it turned out, they did not know. Share it, blog it, tell us more, they said. Here at snack we aim to please…so here we go.

Back to Café Gray. In the private dinning room, A-list media types will be plied with after work cocktails, nibbles, the lovely park view and a moment with the chef. It’s been reported that Gray Kunz has taken the lease at 13 West 54^th Street, formerly Aquavit. The raison d’etre for the event is to announce his plans for the space.

Sources say ~~the yet-to-be-named venue~~ Grayz will have two components. A 60-seat bar with appropriate menus of libations and snacks. The 120-seat dinning room will be private events only. They’ve yet to settle on an architect, but sources say they will be getting rid of the waterfall. Targeted opening at this point is fall 2006.

The event is on Thursday. That means there’s plenty of time for the daily Wednesday food sections to cover it next week. The earliest mentions would appear on the 15^th. Monthly magazines work on a much longer lead time, anywhere from six to nine months. That means releasing the information in March, allows just enough time for magazine editors to think about putting it into the fall issues. Most are already into editions for the 4^th quarter, so timing is good to see an announcement in print for a fall 2006 opening. Earliest mention would be in September issues. Of course online media can go at anytime.

Game on.