New York, New York.(restaurant considers low profit margin on wine; specialty film distribution company offers book-of-the-month-type service; Time Inc. eschews holiday parties in favor of $100 Target gift certificates for employees; other news)(Briefs)

Crain's New York Business, December, 2002

Byline: edited by Emily DeNitto Hoping for wining, not whining The wine list at Mermaid Inn, a restaurant slated to open early next year in the East Village, is likely to have an unusual twist. Chef/owner Jimmy Bradley is considering making the markup on every bottle a mere $10 above cost.

The typical industry markup is three times cost. The idea is to give patrons a real bargain at a time when New Yorkers are turning up their noses at expensive wines. Gone are the days when diners on expense accounts would fork over anything for a bottle, just to impress. ``If we give exceptional wine value, we'll get more in second- and third- and fourth-bottle sales,'' predicts Mr. Bradley. Already he's trying to underprice competitors at his two other spots, Red...

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