Pride of Place
Restaurateurs Attuned to Their Environment Spawn Successful New Concepts
By Joan Marsan, Associate Editor -- HOTELS Magazine, 7/1/2000
Chefs do not need to emphasize localized cuisine
to please customers, although regional fare often tops establishments’ lists of best
sellers. And indeed, several restaurants represented here pay homage
to site-specific flavors. Boston’s The Federalist heralds its
New England clambake. Fresco, out of Macau, highlights historic Portuguese
and Mediterranean dishes, such as seafood paella Valenciana. The Restaurant
Kämp in Helsinki stars a noisette of Finnish reindeer. And while
the spate of Mediterranean-inspired openings suggests
otherwise, it is not a requirement that this collection of hot new restaurants
feature southern European and northern African specialties.
Rather, those who cultivate an understanding of
the moods and character of their clientele and location may find new
touches that will capture the interest of the customers their restaurant
is most likely to draw. Their understanding will guide them to seize
opportunities and fill voids. The CuisinArt Resort & Spa in Anguilla attracts sophisticated
foodies eager to taste exotic meals emphasizing crisp, natural cuisine.
The resort’s Santorini Restaurant delivers just that, offering
Caribbean-touched takes on Mediterranean dishes with ingredients produced
by the property’s very own hydroponic garden. Chefs of Aurora
at the Great Eastern Hotel identified Londoners’ desires for an
establishment offering modern service with classic culinary
values, so they reintroduced gueridon cooking. Similarly, Halo at the
Morrison in Dublin offers guests an upscale, dramatic atmosphere that
no other outlet could mimic.
Addressing culinary values, perhaps, is the greatest
key to the success of these concepts. These restaurants have virtually
guaranteed their success by providing customers with an experience
they cannot find anywhere else and, of course, by offering unfailingly
extraordinary cuisine. (While poor service remains the number one
cause for complaint in Zagat surveys, a Coyle Hospitality group poll
of restaurant-goers revealed that food quality is the top reason customers
will return—even
in instances of bad service.) In our annual round-up of outstanding
new F&B concepts, HOTELS presents ventures that bring value to the
table, satisfying their customers’ experiential appetites.
Faya Mediterranean Bar & Grill, Thistle Euston, Thistle King’s Cross and Thistle Lancaster Gate, London
in September 1999 at the 361-room Euston Hotel in central
London, F&B
managers saw a 30% increase in dinner guests and revenues over the previous
establishment, Spires, a traditional hotel dining room. The second Faya,
with its street-level, corner location at the 215-room Thistle King’s
Cross, heralded a 75% increase in covers and revenues. A third Faya
opened at the 390-room Lancaster Gate in May 2000. “This concept
was designed so the fare fills a gap in local cuisine and design,” says
Stefan Breg, F&B director, Thistle Hotels. And in so doing, it draws
a crowd.
The contemporary concept presents a strong image and identity at the
middle price range, a niche traditionally filled in London by non-branded,
family-owned restaurants, Breg says. Faya differentiates itself from
these competitors by emphasizing consistency and a sense of ownership
among all its staff members. As Thistle opens more locations, each will
sport the same logo and look and will draw from a menu library. But
individual locations are encouraged to make adjustments in cuisine and
service style that appeal to the local clientele. Employees at each
outlet assist in the creation of the concept, and their first-hand knowledge
is an asset that helps them sell the product. Belief in and enthusiasm
for the concept on the part of the staff makes Faya tough competition
for its peers, Breg says.
Faya wouldn’t work in a highly traditional environment, Breg
says, but the theatrical kitchen and ethnic touches, such as the tagine
brought to the table in a clay pot, make it a perfect fit for the spirited
London neighborhoods in which it has opened. Faya is one of three homegrown
concepts to come out of Thistle (CoMotion, a New York deli and Italian
café fusion concept, and Gengis, featuring Asian-Mediterranean
fusion, are the others). Taking advantage of the F&B talent on hand
and hiring consultants to create a concept, Breg says, can be no more
costly than working through licensing agreements. But Thistle gives
fair consideration to joint ventures, leases and franchises, as well. “We
carefully consider what’s best for each site,” Breg says. “We
look for maximum profit. We go for a lease if there’s no reason
to invest in brand.”
Halo, Morrison Hotel, Dublin
Deep purple velvet drapes cut across black, reflective
walls. Velvet throws drape white chairs contrasting with dark oak tables. Ever-changing
light washes over the two-story atrium space centered
on a three-paneled gold painting of two paths crossing, emphasizing the East-meets-West
aura that permeates the entire property. Feng Shui concepts
directed John Rocha, the internationally renowned Irish designer who created
the look of the hotel and restaurant. The US$14-million
project (including the hotel and restaurant) opened in June 1999.
The cuisine brings fusion to the fore, appealing
to Dubliners who are enjoying access to previously unexplored luxuries. “Ireland as
a nation is performing well,” says Aoife Henderson, director of
sales and marketing. “We have wealth we never had before. People
want to enjoy good food and wine with new tastes in new
settings, and we provide that experience.”
Creations that veer from traditional Irish or continental, combining
flavors to create global cuisine, include coconut, chili and cucumber
prawn soup; crispy Peking duck, tamarillo and chili sauce with sesame
seed pancakes; and cured salmon, Nori seaweed, leek, cucumber and celery
fondue in a parsley emulsion. The menu even features an Irish-meets-other
side dish of baby roast potatoes with lime leaves.
The concept has been so popular with locals, who
make up 40% of the restaurant’s business, that Halo has initiated two sittings for
dinner, the first at 7 p.m., and the second at 9 p.m. And the activity
attracts in-house guests. “They want to be part of the experience,” Henderson
says.
The Federalist, Fifteen Beacon, Boston
Chef Robert Fathman spent formative years in California
developing a passion for seafood that guided him when
he was given an unbridled opportunity to create the menu for The Federalist
at the 61-room Fifteen Beacon. The Federalist’s menu features lobster
soup, pan-roasted salmon, fresh Dungeness crab, sautéed Dover
sole and a New England clam bake. The kitchen boasts a fish tank housing
lobsters, which guests, who share Fathman’s passion, consume
at a rate of about 75 pounds per day. Cooks can make
errors preparing meat dishes and cover them up, Fathman says, but
the delicacy of seafood challenges and fascinates him.
The Federalist brings New York-style culinary
seriousness to Boston. Attention to detail extends from food—Fathman cultivates a rooftop
herb garden to ensure access to prime ingredients—to décor.
Seasonality of these handpicked ingredients promotes a dynamic menu.
Large-scale, abstract expressionist paintings by prominent artists adorn
the walls, and crystal glassware, silver flatware and bone china grace
the tabletops. Perhaps the restaurant’s most arresting feature
is the signature wine cellar with double-vaulted ceiling and caged-glass
stock. The 17,000-bottle collection includes classic vintages of Chateau
d’Yquem, Mouton Rothschild and Chateaux Margaux, as well as a
1907 Heidsieck Monopole rescued from a schooner sunk
by a German U-boat.
Fathman was a veteran of six openings when he
launched The Federalist in January. To guarantee a smooth start-up,
his staff worked through the menu for the four weeks prior to the
inauguration date. He also limited service to 40 guests for the first
evening. “There was
a lot of hype surrounding the opening of this restaurant,” Fathman
says. “I didn’t want people coming in and then leaving dissatisfied.”
Still, the restaurant’s extreme popularity
took him by surprise. He expects to pull in US$5 million in annual
revenues, and 85% of the business comes from outside the hotel. An
average of seven private dining events per week heightens an already
exceptional number of covers. The rapid pace spurred him to boost
the number of sous chefs from two to four. Fathman keeps his sous
chefs on the line, correcting and praising line chefs and guaranteeing
adherence to his standards. Labor costs as a percent of revenues run
33%, and food costs, though declining, average 40% to 55%, reflecting
the high-cost menu items.
Restaurant Kämp, Hotel Kämp, Helsinki
Since restaurateur Carl Kämp opened Helsinki’s first luxury
hotel in 1887, the 179-room Hotel Kämp has captured the imaginations
of Finnish citizens. In past centuries, political figures, artists,
composers and writers gathered at the Upper House restaurant, taking
to its stage to present shows and state opinions. The composer Jean
Sibelius even scored music commemorating the Kämp. The property’s
location in the city’s center, near the harbor and adjacent to
the Esplanadi Park, once again attracts locals who gather at the Kämp
restaurants to see and be seen in a place that pays homage to Helsinki’s
cultural life.
Suffering from age and disrepair, the Kämp closed in the 1950s,
only to regain its former glory when it reopened in May 1999 under the
direction of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Although the Restaurant
Kämp had been redecorated innumerable times, through research and
attention to detail, designers retained as much of the space’s
original character as possible. They recovered the room’s original
ceiling paintings and reviewed historic records, reproducing the look
documented by works of art including “A Party at Kämp” by
Victor Andrén, which now hangs in its original position in the
restaurant.
Service standards, feeding a 45% labor cost, approach
the same high level of classical elegance, as does pricing. “Other restaurants
have brought their pricing up toward our pricing,” says Tomi Söderström,
restaurant operations manager, noting the establishment’s impact
on the local restaurant community. While Helsinki offers countless cosmopolitan
dining options and an array of Lap and Russian eateries, few restaurants
strive toward the elegance the Kämp has achieved, with menu items
including such meals as tournedos of beef with duck liver and truffle
ragout and caramelized scallops built around a white bean salad. The
high-end image has served the Kämp well. Rather than deterring
local diners, it has attracted them, with 70% of the clientele drawn
from the Helsinki community and allowing the Kämp to achieve annual
revenues of FIM 6 million (US$1 million), contributing 20% of the hotel’s
revenues.
Santorini Restaurant, CuisinArt Resort & Spa, Anguilla, British West Indies
the 93-room CuisinArt Resort & Spa embodies the Mediterranean experience.
As befits a property so fully steeped in its theme, the Santorini restaurant
serves up the fare of the region that inspired the resort’s designers.
And although CuisinArt’s owner’s passion is Italy, the bounty
of the whole Mediterranean, including France, Greece, Turkey and Morocco,
finds representation on Santorini’s menu, as does a touch of Caribbean
spice. The cumin and curries of neighboring islands liven
up the crisp freshness of Mediterranean fare, and the fruits of the
sea, including crayfish, lobster and yellow-tailed red snapper, lend
local flavor.
Fresh produce is equally part of the Santorini
package. Gardens and a hydroponics farm enhance the CuisinArt aesthetic,
and the farm supplies about 85% of the produce that goes into dishes
at the resort’s
restaurants. Cucumbers, in fact, have been so prolific the resort sells
them to neighboring hotels and restaurants. Since the December 1999
opening, “We’ve been making adjustments,” says Chef
Denis Jaricot. “We started with nine varieties of tomatoes, and
now we’re down to six.” Next year only the three most flavorful
and hardy varieties will be planted.
The farm’s output is extremely advantageous
to the restaurant as Anguilla, like much of the Caribbean, faces environmental
constraints that complicate the cultivation and procurement of fresh,
affordable produce. Duties alone add an average 10% to food costs,
which, even at CuisinArt with its ready supplies, approach 35% to
38%. Labor costs, at 12%, ameliorate the pricing problems.
Jaricot builds menus around the farm’s seasonal produce, and
finds that guests at the resort are experimental, fond of fish and appreciative
of vegetarian entrées. Guests come to the CuisinArt Resort expecting
a dose of culinary excitement. “They’re not afraid of anything,” Jaricot
says, “so experimentation is good here.”
The restaurant’s ability to attract sophisticated
diners has led Jaricot to launch cooking classes at the establishment,
also making use of the hydroponic garden, and focusing on vegetarian
cuisine and seafood. Complementary to hotel guests and US$20 per person
for outsiders, the classes draw up to 40 students three times a week.
Aurora, Great Eastern Hotel, London
The hotel also features its designer and restaurateur Terence Conran’s
first pub, George. While Aurora draws a crowd, its popularity is based
on a reputation for excellence and a return to classic culinary arts.
Aurora features cheese and liquor trolleys, gueridon work and flambé cooking
and serves up treats such as ravioli of confit duck with roast salsify
and haricots blancs & Xeres sauce.
“Aurora is not about being trendy or fashionable,” says
Andy Jacob, restaurant manager of the venue, which generates 10% of
the Great Eastern’s revenues. “If you try to do that, you
run the risk of being ‘in’ for a short and highly profitable
period, but then somewhere else comes along and the in-crowd
moves on.”
Instead, Aurora focuses on developing relationships with customers,
80% of which come from the local area. Repeat business, the conscientious
effort to address guest likes and dislikes and a desire to keep the
restaurant dynamic have resulted in frequent menu changes, but food
costs remain reasonable, hovering at 29%. Labor costs account for a
mere 8% of revenues, Jacobs reports.
Fresco, Mandarin Oriental, Macau
Restaurants throughout Macau offer a fairly standardized,
low-priced regional fare delivered family-style in
an outdoor environment. “What
was lacking was a more stylish venue,” says Jorge Smith, F&B
manager, “with a distinctly different (but not so radically
different as to alienate) food concept, in line with the values of
the hotel brand and resort complex—yet still delivering a fine
Macanese experience.”
Fresco appeals to the distinct palates of its
Hong Kong Chinese guests and expatriates, international Western travelers,
and local Chinese and Portuguese clientele by presenting Mediterranean
and Asian fare in a fresh way. An “XO” fried rice dish is served with carefully
placed scallops and asparagus. The “Hanging Skewers of Babylon” consists
of freshly grilled skewers of seafood, meats and vegetables
suspended over a bed of wild rice. An open show kitchen keeps the restaurant
lively and reinforces the idea that everything is made to order.
Fresco generates approximately 13% of the total
covers for the Mandarin Macau’s F&B division, which includes four other outlets, and
has added 10% revenues to the division’s overall performance in
its first four months of operation. Projected annual
revenues are US$1 million. Labor costs run 40%, and food costs average
30% of revenues.
Fresco provides a great lesson in avoiding the
dangers of internal competition, Smith says, as the Cantonese, Italian
and international cafés are close cousins to a Mediterranean and Asian concept. “Our
concern with such a mix is to have a solid identity,” Smith says. “We
are not serving fusion cuisine. Our concern was to create
a restaurant offering side-by-side authentic Asian and Mediterranean
foods.”
Tamarind, Herods Palace, Herods Sheraton Resort, Eilat, Israel
In the desert, lone tamarind trees in the distance promise
an oasis, a thirst-quenching interlude in an otherwise
barren place. The Tamarind restaurant’s waiters tell the story of
the tamarind tree to each guest, pledging a culinary experience akin to
finding salvation in the sands. And guests are buying into the experience.
Tamarind pulls in about US$62,000 in revenues each
month. Food costs average 31%.
To the delight of food aficionados throughout
Eilat—up to 70%
of the restaurant’s guests are drawn from outside of the hotel—Chef
Todd English’s venture showcases his classical Mediterranean style.
Main courses include whole braised spring chicken with
green olives and preserved lemon, accompanied by saffron potatoes and
carrots; quick-braised fillet of butterfish on raisins and onions with
chickpea sticks and garlic spinach; and charmoula marinated white Palamida
fillet, grilled and served on green beans with crispy breaded eggplant
and tomato fondue.
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