If it’s a trend, tell us what the trend is, its origins, why it’s interesting, the cultural context, and why it’s sticking (or why it’s inevitably going to flop). Please provide at least three examples.
If your pitch focuses on a single person or place, as opposed to a multi-sourced piece, please note why you think a national audience should care about this one person or restaurant.
Whatever the pitch is, tell us why it’s relevant right now—such as a news peg, a cultural moment, an economic factor, etc.
Examples of reported features that encapsulate what we’re looking for: Maritozzi buns, a sudden stateside obsession with Japanese milk bread, pricey cocktails, colorful tortillas, fancy butter, the rise of ghost kitchens, how outdoor dining setups in New York City revealed a deep economic divide, what it’s like to be undocumented and unemployed during the pandemic, and how omakase became a status symbol.
Travel guides: The best way to pitch a restaurant guide is through our regular travel column, The Getaway. These digital stories guide readers through the very best way to eat through a new-to-you city for a single day. These guides are organized by mealtimes, with several cultural recommendations included between each meal.
We’re primarily seeking coverage of cities or neighborhoods within the United States. Make the argument for why this location is an interesting restaurant destination right now. Has the scene developed recently? Are there any relatively new restaurants or tourist attractions that make it worth visiting? Give us an idea of what’s cool about this place, and why you’re the right person to write the piece. The more specific your angle, the more likely it will be a fit—instead of pitching a story about everything to eat in California, consider how you would guide a reader through a day of eating in Vallejo, or a specific Los Angeles neighborhood.
When thinking about whether you’re the right person to cover this local food scene, please keep in mind that—while there are exceptions—we prioritize travel stories written by locals with a depth of knowledge.
Note: There is also a print version of The Getaway, which follows a slightly different format, and focuses more regularly on international destinations.
Examples: Ojai, Tulsa, Raleigh
Opinion and analysis: Do you have a strong opinion on recent happenings in the restaurant world? Send us a pitch! While the piece will be based on your own point of view, it should still be well-researched. Please also let us know why you are the person to write this piece and why it matters to write about right now. Pitches for these stories are most likely to be accepted if they can point directly to a recent news story, a controversy in the restaurant world, or an otherwise-current event that feels urgent and which you feel requires a strong response right now.
Examples: What Went Wrong at Eleven Madison Park, World’s 50 Best Is Our Rich, Out-of-Touch Uncle, The Problem With Male-Chef Redemption Stories
What we’re not looking for:
- Profiles of people in the restaurant world without a specific peg (e.g., a certain cultural moment we’re in, timeliness, etc.) and connection to a larger cultural/historical narrative
- International restaurants and chefs, unless connected to a travel guide.
- Buzzwords. For example, if you are pitching a story about how a restaurant person is addressing systemic inequity within the industry, include specifics of how they’re doing this. What initiatives have they started? How does it work? Is it working? What’s the response been? How are they growing/tweaking/changing their process?
How to pitch a Restaurants story
Please send your pitch in an email with “PITCH” as the first word in the subject line to restaurants@bonappetit.com.