Airbnb goes public, Guy Fieri sheds light on the state of the restaurant industry, and Pantone selects a timely Color of the Year. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Airbnb strives to hold onto its identity as it hits the public market
Photo courtesy of Airbnb
Yesterday, homesharing platform Airbnb far exceeded expectations during its first day of public trading as its stock prices opened at a whopping $146 per share—up more than 112 percent from the initially anticipated $68 share price. Despite a successful debut, the vacation rental company recognizes it must stay true to its individual hosts in order to set itself apart from competitors, writes Bloomberg. Airbnb has acknowledged an increase in corporate-run properties listed by professional hosts, but it has made an effort to lean into its original host community recently. Hosts were invited to purchase stock share at a pre-IPO price and the company established a host endowment fund comprising 9.2 million shares.
How lockdown looks the second time around
Istanbul; photo by Hilmi Ceper from Pixabay
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, cities and establishments are doing what they can to implement restrictions and maintain safety, and in some cases are doing so without enacting full shutdowns. Starting today, popular ski destination Lake Tahoe has banned vacation travel and will remained closed for at least three weeks. On the Las Vegas Strip, the Palazzo has temporarily closed its hotel rooms doors due to ongoing low midweek occupancy rates. The resort’s restaurants, bars, shops, and casino floor remain open, and guests are able to instead stay at the connecting Venetian. Across the Atlantic, Istanbul is taking a unique approach by ordering residents to stay at home all weekend or risk being fined; however, tourists are exempt from the stay-at-home order. And the U.K. is loosening restrictions for five days around December to allow families to create temporary support bubbles and gather for the Christmas holiday.
Guy Fieri produces documentary highlighting restaurants’ current struggle
Photo by Neva Swensen
American restaurateur and television personality Guy Fieri created a document, Restaurant Hustle 2020: All on the Line, depicting the challenges the hard-hit restaurant industry is facing due to COVID-19. The film will air on Food Network on December 27th at 9 p.m. EST, reports Delish. “When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the impact on the restaurant industry was immediate,” Fieri says. “Restaurant Hustle 2020: All on the Line provides a real and intimate firsthand look into the lives of four top restaurateurs navigate through it all.” In March, the host of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives also launched the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, which has since handed out $500 grants to approximately 43,000 unemployed restaurant workers—a total of more than $21.5 million in assistance.
Pantone picks two hues for 2021’s Color of the Year
Global color authority Pantone has selected not one, but two hues as its Color of the Year 2021. The pair consists of PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating, which the company describes as a “marriage of color conveying a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting.” The annual selection process, which has taken place for more than 20 years, analyzes trends and thoughtfully considers global culture and color influences. This year was no different. “As society continues to recognize color as a critical form of communication, and a way to symbolize thoughts and ideas, many designers and brands are embracing the language of color to engage and connect,” says Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute.
London designer Tara Bernerd tells HD what she’s learned
On this week’s episode of HD’s What I’ve Learned podcast, London-based Tara Bernerd sits down with Hospitality Design editor in chief Stacy Shoemaker Rauen to talk about everything from her work with Equinox Hotels and the impact of COVID-19 to influential mentors and her greatest inspirations. “There was certainly a very artistic streak in me, whether that was what I reached out to wear or what I was drawing, I did a lot of the arts when I was at school,” the designer says. Listen to the episode now. (New episodes of What I’ve Learned are released biweekly on Tuesdays and available to stream on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more.)
