It sometimes seems there are just two types of restaurants in New York City: the ones where celebrities eat, and everywhere else. Coverage of big-name restaurant outings has been particularly profuse this year; every New York spot Taylor Swift has patronized, for examplelucky horse, has been thoroughly documented and mapped online.

All that V.I.P. voyeurism has turned these sightings into a priceless form of currency for restaurateurs. Even a handful of TikTok videos of Post Malone eating spaghetti at a back table can guarantee solid bookings for months. Several high-profile openings this year, including the Corner Store, Bungalow and Crane Club, have drawn a parade of A-listers and in turn become some of the toughest reservations in town.

What’s the secret to attracting the rich and famous? We visited several star-frequented establishments in New York, and learned that many share similar strategies. Here are nine ways that restaurants draw big names to their doors.

She has a knack for logistics and an irresistible magnetism. He knows exactly who’s coming in tonight and what they love (or hate) to eat. These hosts will hand-deliver dishes and keep the Champagne flowing — all while casually mentioning that Rihanna swung by yesterday.

The false narrative that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were killing and eating pets was quickly and decisively debunked this month. But that did not prevent the rumor from catapulting across the national stage for weeks.

Emilio Vitolo, the second-generation owner of the Italian restaurant Emilio’s Ballato in NoLIta, is the archetype. He's omnipresent at the restaurant and its next-door speakeasy, Da Milio, floating from table to table with a cigarette in hand, schmoozing in his thick New York accent with guests like George Clooney, all three Jonas Brothers and, yes, Ms. Swift.

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