The Scoop

Raquel Weiss Fusco Named to SHFM Board of Directors
September 17, 2019
Last week, our Managing Director of Project Operations, Raquel Weiss Fusco was named to the Society for Hospitality & Foodservice Management's Board of Directors. The organization is geared towards the needs and interests of executives in the corporate foodservice and workplace hospitality industries, and its annual conference attracts nearly 400 individuals from across the country. The 2019 event was held in Palm Springs, CA.

British Airways Performs Sweeping Renovation of JFK Terminal
September 01, 2019
British Airways’ $64 million renovation of Terminal 7 at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) represents a premium upgrade — and not just for premium passengers. The changes are tangible for more than 150,000 customers who travel through the terminal every month. elite | studio e's role was to collaborate with the airline, Corgan architecture and VRH Construction to create a new Galleries First Lounge experience.
Eric Weiss Among Industry Veterans Feted by AJC
July 01, 2019
Long time design/build guru executive Eric Weiss of Long Island’s elite | studio e was honored by the AJC Food Service and Hospitality Division. He was surrounded by family, friends and several members of the elite | studio e team, including the firm’s next generation.

elite | studio e Reaches Milestone
May 06, 2019
elite | studio e has crossed a major threshold with our 50th team member joining the company this month. Our Executive Vice President & COO Ivan J. Weiss shares his thoughts on this milestone and discusses how the team is dedicated to remaining agile and innovative.

Eric Weiss to Receive AJC National Corporate Innovation Award
May 02, 2019
Eric D. Weiss, founder, President & CEO, will be presented with the AJC’s National Corporate Innovator Award at its 2019 Food Service & Hospitality Division Dinner next month. "One of the foundations elite|studio e was built on is innovation. We pride ourselves on being ahead of the curve in talent, creativity, and knowledge, to best serve the needs of our clients,“ he said.

American Express Hosts Annual SHFM Conference
May 01, 2019
Several members of the elite | studio e team are featured in this piece about the 2019 Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management's Critical Issues Conference in New York City. Industry experts addressed leveraging the changes redefining hospitality and world-class service; enhancing techniques for measuring customer satisfaction; and incorporating strategies for building loyalty by building client connections. Our company is a proud sponsor of the conference.

5 Reasons to Refresh Your Dining Experience
March 20, 2019
If you own or operate a restaurant, corporate café or other foodservice concept, you may be looking for a way to transform the experience. Most of the time individuals immediately jump to exploring the idea of revamping the menu or getting pricing for a gut renovation. But let’s say you’re on a tight budget or you can’t cease your operation for months, then you need to think about other options. Your dining location might be a candidate for a refresh. Our Executive Vice President & CEO Ivan J. Weiss spoke to Total Foodservice about the most common reasons we see this method of renovation happen.

How Ambiance Initiates the Dining Experience
December 03, 2018
There are many factors that influence an awesome dining atmosphere. And, these details should be aligned with your brand story so that the overall impression, and vibe you create work together and make sense. In a recent Total Foodservice article, members of our team shared some insight on creating ambiance and some project examples, including Red Rooster Harlem and AON Chicago.

SHFM Presents Rising Young Professional Award
November 01, 2018
Raquel Weiss Fusco, Director of Client Relations at elite|studio e, was recently written about in Total Foodservice. She is the proud recipient of the Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management's first Rising Young Professional Award, which was presented at its National Conference in Texas last month.

The Importance of a Design/Build Firm
October 22, 2018
The use of design/build firms is becoming increasingly popular in commercial construction. The reality is having a single source handle a project is often a better experience than the classic design-bid-build method. This also applies when renovating your corporate café, university dining hall, hotel, restaurant and other dining locations. Aaron M. Weiss, Vice President of Project Solutions, address the benefits of using a design/build firm.
British Airways Galleries First Lounge at JFK
October 01, 2018
British Airways is investing heavily in new lounges and passenger amenities, and Galleries First at John F. Kennedy International Airport is among the first spaces to undergo a drastic makeover. The elite | studio e team is proud to have been part of this transformation which provides a sleek and sophisticated experience for fliers. It features boutique dining, a bar, a wine tasting area and other areas suitable for business and leisure travelers. .
Understanding Your Brand's Relationship With Your Dining Space Design
September 10, 2018
When elite | studio e has the opportunity to design a café, dining room, standalone concept or hospitality space, we start by having a conversation with the operator and client to determine the desired look and purpose of the space. If the client desires the incorporation of its brand into the design, or a station featuring a national or local brand, our Marketing team gets involved to help make it happen. Marcy Weiss, our Associate Director of Marketing, was given the opportunity to share how this process works and the end result of a few successful projects.
Food Hall Opens in Atlanta's Tallest Skyscraper
March 26, 2018
elite | studio e is proud to have been part of the design/build team for
Marketplace 600, a food hall located in the west wing of Bank of America Plaza.
From concept to completion, our team collaborated with the operator, interior designers and architects to create a state-of-the art facility featuring specialty equipment, unique signage materials and a variety of finishes. This food hall is located in the largest skyscraper in Atlanta, GA.

Former Boston Globe Building Envisioned as Innovation Park
January 30, 2018
elite | studio e is excited to be part of the redevelopment of the former Boston Globe building. The BEAT will become a hub for innovative business involving robotics, 3D printing and other futuristic endeavors. It will also feature a food hall, collaborative experiences and a beer garden. Our team is partnering with Stantec architecture firm and Nordblom Co. on this project.
Rendered image provided by Stantec.

Rising Star Spotlight
December 19, 2017
Our Director of Client Relations, Raquel Weiss Fusco, was interviewed by the Society of Hospitality and Foodservice Management's newsletter Food & Hospitality At Work. The article focuses on Raquel's role in the organization over the past two years as Chair of the Rising Stars Committee, a position that allows her to meet, mentor and educate those new to all facets of the industry.
Palate Pleasers: Café Changes Add Variety
December 05, 2017
This year, elite | studio e had the opportunity to partner with Sodexo to create a flexible and functional café concept called Chef's Palette. The concept rotates its core offering using the operator's existing brands. In addition, the visually driven ambiance changes to compliment the menu and transform the space. The Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is the first location to implement Chef's Palette.

MAFSI Golf and Awards Dinner
November 01, 2017
Total Foodservice recently covered the Manufacturers' Agents Association for the Foodservice Industry Region 3 Dealer of the Year Award. elite | studio e's CEO & President Eric D. Weiss was among the award recipients and he was proud to share it with every member of the company's team. Weiss spoke about his career and the growth of the company,which was founded in 2000.

elite | studio e Named Dealer of the Year
October 02, 2017
With almost the entire team present, Eric D. Weiss, President & CEO of elite | studio e, accepted the MAFSI Region 3 Dealer of the Year Award in Lake Success, NY. Acknowledged for its differentiation in the industry, family values and innovation in technology, Lynne Schultz of Tri-State Marketing proudly presented the award at the organization's annual dinner.

Project Coordination Software is a Tool for Success
June 13, 2017
With an increase in the size of our team, a higher level of coordination across departments was needed to become more efficient. Once a project management system called Wrike was put into place our on-time project completion rate increased. As a result of our success with this software over time, our Executive Vice President & COO Ivan J. Weiss was interviewed for Wrike's blog.

Innovation Does Not Have to Mean New
March 31, 2017
There are many different ways products, presentations and services can be innovative. This article, which was featured in the Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management's monthly newsletter, challenges you not necessarily to find what is new, but to use things in a different way. Ivan J. Weiss, our Executive Vice President & COO, is a frequent contributor the monthly Consultant's Corner.

Design, Build Renovation in Maine
February 17, 2017
elite | studio e spearheaded the renovation of the University of Maine in Farmington's Beaver Lodge. From concept to completion our team was onsite to ensure the success of the project. Since February 2017, the students have an updated space to hang out in and dine in.

elite|studio e Creates Casual Collisions for R/GA
January 16, 2017
When digital agency R/GA chose to move its offices to Hudson Yards, elite|studio e was hired for numerous reasons, including our referrals and innovative portfolio, to provide foodservice design and construction management for the cafe, kitchen, cold food service area, floor pantries and the lobby grab & go/coffee/juice bar concept. R/GA's office features many ways to create casual collisions, including through the design of its foodservice operation, and was written about on officesnapshots.com.

May 10, 2016
Virtual Reality is at the forefront of our industry. It is revolutionizing the way we present and visualize design of projects. We had the opportunity to speak with Forbes about this technology and how we became one of the first companies to bring it to our clients.
Interview with Chad S. Weiss
April 29, 2016
"We keep customers happy by providing foodservice designs that are inventive and fresh, while functional and operator-friendly. When our clients have comments and concerns, we listen and deliver," said Assistant Vice President Chad S. Weiss. He was interviewed in the Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management monthly e-newsletter and spoke about his passion for the industry and technology.
Collaboration Fuels Innovation
April 25, 2016
When our New York headquarters gained an additional 2,500 square feet, we decided to renovate the space to create a work, play and live space. It is something our team is often involved with and an environment we should have as well. Our Executive Vice President & COO speaks to the process from conception to completion, which mimics the way our company's projects are handled.

April 01, 2016
Our work with virtual reality experiences was highlighted in a Newsday article focusing on how local companies are utilizing this innovative technology for marketing. Assistant Vice President Chad S. Weiss, who is often looking for new presentation methods for our foodservice presentations, was interviewed.

October 01, 2015
BOXX Technologies Blog took America's obsession with food one step further and delved into who creates the environments that transform the idea of foodservice into a practical and pleasant experience. Associate Creative Director Samantha Kravitz, Interior Design Olivia Sklyarova and Associate Marketing Director Marcy J. Weiss spoke about our collaborative, creative process that allows us to design, develop, and deliver solutions.

September 01, 2015
Our Assistant Vice President, Aaron M. Weiss, was interviewed on becoming a new member of the Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management monthly e-newsletter. Involved with the organization, he has attended its national conference in New Orleans and serves on its Membership Committee.

August 04, 2015
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is a site that not only wanted to refresh their servery, but also needed to ensure that it was a family friendly space. The team at elite | studio e came on board to design a space that would achieve these needs, including fitting room for double strollers, incorporating children's activities into the design and allowing flexibility for evening adult-only events. Our Associate Director of Marketing, Marcy Weiss, takes you through some of this process on LinkedIn's Pulse.

April 01, 2014
Assistant Vice President Seth Prager wrote about the Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management Critical Issues Conference in its Consultant's Corner. The conference was mainly about consulting and space planning related to new spaces for the front of the house, dining room, and work spaces but what caught Seth's attention was the amount of lost opportunity clients miss out on when they keep their dining room only a dining room. Seth is a regular contributor to this SHFM column.

August 01, 2013
In Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management's Consultants Corner, our Assistant Vice President Seth Prager addresses his experience designing and building a catering commissary for a client in the tri-state area.The budget was tight and stakes were high and obviousl ywhat the client wanted did no tfall into his budget. Through many value engineering exercises and many revisions, we finally came to a point where we fell into his budget and were awarded the project.

The View Finder
March 01, 2013
A total overhaul of the 5,875-sq.-ft. servery on the fifth floor of Horizon Healthcare Services, Inc., (HHSI) headquarters might seem like a foodservice designer's dream. But there's always a catch. In this case, it was two long walls of panoramic windows, opening out onto the vista of downtown Newark, N.J. The challenge: how to keep the view and the servery too. Take a sneak peak of this dining experience and read about our design/build process.

January 01, 2013
The difference between buying kitchen equipment from an internet dealer versus a company like elite | studio e is the customer service. A dealer like us will work with you to choose the product that’s right for your space and population, measure the location, ensure it fits through doorways, check electric and plumbing needs, arrange delivery, supervise installation and provide support upon completion.