Rich Apartment Dwellers Get In-Building Restaurants

What luxuries are the super-rich looking for now? The Wall Street Journal reports that new high-end apartment and condo buildings in New York City and Miami have been building private full-service restaurants so that residents can dine out without actually having to leave their buildings. In New York City, some buildings already have this feature, with restaurants even offering room service and complimentary breakfasts to residents. Summing up what seems to be one of the main appeals of a private restaurant, the director of sales at Oceana Key Biscayne — a Miami-area luxury building that will have a private restaurant with "globally-inspired cuisine" — says: "We don't want the circulation of outside people."

The cost of running the restaurant usually falls on residents, with monthly fees and minimum dining charges. In New York City, these charges can cost thousands of dollars every year. Apparently, despite this guaranteed income, private restaurants "rarely make enough money to cover their expenses." But they sure are convenient and private. But really, what's an in-building restaurant without a 10,000 bottle wine cellar and dedicated full time sommelier like they have in Tokyo?

· The Popularity of Private Restaurants [WSJ]
· All Rich People Things on Eater [-E-]