Gourmet Is Back - But Not As A Magazine

By Olivia Koski

Foodies rejoice - Gourmet is re-born. Just don't expect to get it in the mail. At a press event at the Condé Nast building, CEO Chuck Townsend announced the development of Gourmet Live, stressing "it is not a magazine, and it is not a digitized version of a magazine."

The magazine was shuttered last Fall, to the chagrin of loyal readers of the seventy-five year-old brand. Rumors of a resurrection have been buzzing since its closure. "We have to evolve from the ancient world of subscription sales through the mail," Townsend said.

So, what is it? A website, an app? Officially, it's "an entirely new digital content provider." There will be a website as well as a free tablet app, providing users access to the magazine's archive as well as continuously streaming new content. It's also part social network centered around Gourmet's focus on all things celebratory: cooking, traveling, and entertaining.

The developers, from Activate, are also taking lessons from the online gaming community, capitalizing on the popularity of reward systems, virtual currency and community interactivity. Users will be able to connect to Facebook and Twitter, linking their Gourmet Live account with other communities to share content.

The project is a work in progress, and an experiment of sorts. The app will be available in HTML5, which is "easily rolled out across all platforms." Gourmet Live mock-ups were on display at the Conde Nast building on iPads. The publication will be available in Q4 2010.

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