Marketing Gimmicks

Westin to Garces: We Like ’80s Movies Too

The future home of Frohmans Wursthaus
The future home of Frohmans Wursthaus Photo: Courtesy Foobooz

A few weeks ago, Grub Street thought it was kind of clever and cute that Jose Garces was going with the name Frohmans Wursthaus for his much talked about beer and brats joint on 13th Street. If you haven’t figured it out already, that’s the name Matthew Broderick’s character uses to secure a table at a swanky Chicago restaurant in the ’80s comedy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Through using it, his Ironness shows he has a sense of humor and gives some props to his hometown. Unfortunately, we were not as amused when the Insider reported yesterday that the Westin in Liberty Place is rebranding its restaurant Winthorpe & Valentine, a nod to the Philly shot comedy Trading Places. That’s about as clever as Tommy Up opening a breakfast spot called Dick Vernon’s. It’s no wonder we’re hearing rumors now that Stephen Starr just pulled the plug on a beach bar in Atlantic City that he was going to call Bernie Lomax’s.

Westin trades up [Insider]

Earlier: More Details Emerge About Multiple Garces Projects

Westin to Garces: We Like ’80s Movies Too