Nothing can stop Gen Z New Yorkers from getting a sweet treat. Treating yourself no longer means buying a once-in-a-lifetime handbag or a fancy new piece of jewelry — now, it could be a piece of Louis Vuitton-branded cake or frilly fruit tart to show off on your Instagram story.

Louis Vuitton, one of the icons of luxury attire, just debuted its first restaurant in the United States this month, in none other than New York City. The fourth floor of the brand’s iconic Fifth Avenue store now boasts the stellar cuisine of Le Café Louis Vuitton. In partnership with Michelin-starred chef Christophe Bellanca, Louis Vuitton has created a team of well-established chefs, including Arnaud Donckele, who owns two three-Michelin-star restaurants. The esteemed brand has raised the bar for consumers to expect nothing but that of the finest cuisine.

Louis Vuitton is not the first designer-branded restaurant in New York City. The Polo Bar, Ralph Lauren’s flagship restaurant, has been open since 2015. A new Giorgio Armani restaurant, called Armani Ristorante, opened this fall, replacing Armani’s former Fifth Avenue location that had been running since 2009. And for those less inclined toward the traditional haute image that brands like Ralph Lauren and Louis Vuitton evoke, designers popular with younger generations such as Maison Margiela are opening restaurants with their own twists. 

Margiela debuted Maison Margiela Afternoon Delight Café, its first-ever pop-up cafe, in New York City this past September. Located in Williamsburg, the Margiela cafe paired retail with coffee and madeleines. Customers sipped on the lattes of their choosing while smelling Margiela’s newest scents. 

It should be no surprise then that luxury retailers are implementing restaurants in their repertoire — financially, change is needed. In the digital age in which we live, it is an opportune time for this emerging sub-industry to gain traction online, which Erewhon, for example, has already proven possible. Modern advertising is allowing luxury labels to reach new audiences such as younger generations, expanding their brand’s ecosystems. If an Instagrammable steak is the newest Rolex, isn’t a single post to social media akin to a billboard?

“They’re selling you an experience,” CAS sophomore Alexis Leon Ruiz said. “I would want to try it out once without having to buy [Louis Vuitton’s] clothes or perfumes. It would be a nice Instagram post.”

Designer-branded dining is more accessible to most consumers than the traditional designer format, it’s trendy and most importantly, it’s symbolic of designer-inspired dreams. In a time when many Americans feel unsatisfied with the economy, the masses have glamorized more simple luxuries like dining rather than hard-luxury goods. Ultimately, food has become the new status symbol in the face of economic uncertainty.

“I could see people who might not justify buying a luxury handbag choosing to indulge in luxury dining experiences occasionally,” Tisch junior Andrew Sun said.

In a restaurant, customers can get a taste of luxury brands physically and metaphorically. These restaurants and cafes allow the brands to gain a new audience in an approachable manner, which could ultimately incite future purchases. It is safe to say that the legacies of luxury brands will continue to carry on — one bite at a time.

Contact Luke Adelson-Yan at [email protected].