On a recent Saturday evening in Charleston, S.C., about 40 foodies wearing feathered masks and colorful beads tucked into Cajun shrimp beignets and duck gumbo at the stately Charleston Library Society. They were here for a Mardi Gras-themed dinner – touted as a “pop-up” restaurant – one of many put on at a variety of venues by LIME, an acronym for Local. Impromptu. Moveable. Evening.
Guests, who paid $125 per person, didn’t know the location until two days prior and had not seen the menu until they walked in the door. But anyone who had LIME’d before knew he was in for a good time (and that a portion of the proceeds would go to a charity). The element of surprise is part of the draw for adventurous foodies and pop-up fans who hunger for a space at the table.
A trend that has been flourishing in big urban centers such as Los Angeles and New York for several years, pop-up restaurants are, ahem, popping up all over. Temporary and often culinarily avant-garde, they spring up for a short period of time, be it a single night, a week or several months, promoted via social media, e-mail lists or simple word of mouth.