Co-Executive chefs

[chaosuk]

Hi all,

This is my first post. I wanted to know how would a restaurant with 2 co-execs go over in New York market. Is is frowned upon? Would it work? Would it confuse the restaurant goers? How would the PR company handle it? Is it a marketing nightmare?

thanks all.

[Fat Guy]

There's precedent for it. Blue Hill, for example. It doesn't seem that it was ever a marketing problem for that restaurant.

The issue, I would think, isn't so much the marketing as it is the administration of the actual restaurant. If you're going to have a chef team, that team has to work really well as a team. Cuisine by consensus is not likely to be particularly great, and any inconsistencies between the chefs will be exploited by the employees.

[chaosuk]

can you give me names of some other restaurants that have done it.

[Sethro]

Besides Blue Hill, Chinatown Brasserie and Crave, I can't think of any examples (not counting the exec chef/exec sushi chef combo which is common).

[Fat Guy]

Suvir Saran and Hemant Mathur are co-executive chefs at Devi.

[Luckylies]

Besides Blue Hill, Chinatown Brasserie and Crave, I can't think of any examples (not counting the exec chef/exec sushi chef combo which is common).

←

the chinatown brasserie thing didn't work out. right?

[tupac17616]

balthazar

[rich]

In my kitchen - only one and that's the way it should be.

[Nathan]

Balthazar has had two exec chefs for over ten years.

[Vadouvan]

Depends on Egos

If the restaurant can support both salaries and both people can functionally supplement each other.

There is no problem.

The subject illustrates inherently how the responders look at life, either objectively and making the best of the situation or adversarially and shooting each other in the foot.

Life can be as easy as you make it.

The real question is how it differs from a traditional chef/sous chef relationship.

[chaosuk]

great stuff folks. I think two chefs who can work together well can be very effective. It is about putting the best product out there for the customers.

[tb86]

i dont know about you guys,,,,,,, bad idea, chef de cuisine/ exec chef fine. Two chefs working together, it could work in theory, but its not gonna work that well in reality. you would be setting yourself up for failure, look at the examples of places that do have co chefs, all mediocre food, scenes that no real foodie takes seriously anyways, yeah balthazar is ok for the scene, but food? spend the money on a strong chef sous combo,

[Sneakeater]

look at the examples of places that do have co chefs, all mediocre food, scenes that no real foodie takes seriously anyways,

←

I agree with you that it seems like a bad idea in general, but . . . .

Blue Hill?

Devi?

Mediocre food that "real" foodies don't take seriously?

Edited April 2, 2007 by Sneakeater (log)

[chaosuk]

There is always a first time. I just don't think it has been done in an effective way. But two good chefs with a good working relationship can make the place shine. Marketing and PR would have to play a big part in making it succeed.

[docsconz]

There is always a first time. I just don't think it has been done in an effective way. But two good chefs with a good working relationship can make the place shine. Marketing and PR would have to play a big part in making it succeed.

←

Difficult to do, yes. Hasn't been done in a effective way? What is wrong with the two examples cited above - both top-notch restaurants?

[tb86]

ok blue hill, but who are the 2 co chefs? thought it was dan barbers place. It didnt work at daniel when eric and johnny were co chefs, i mean anything is possible, but its more likley that you will end up w infighting and eventualy one chef will edge the other out, no diffrent than squabbles between sous chefs, it just happens that way. Ok ill give you that husband and wife teams sometimes work out, but why would you want to create a enivironment of conflict in your kitchen for no other reason than to have co chefs. It could work if your talking about promoting two less experienced sous chefs, but try and put two experienced chefs together,,,,, not buying it, havent seen it work in 15yrs of restaurant exp.

[docsconz]

ok blue hill, but who are the 2 co chefs? thought it was dan barbers place. It didnt work at daniel when eric and johnny were co chefs, i mean anything is possible, but its more likley that you will end up w infighting and eventualy one chef will edge the other out, no diffrent than squabbles between sous chefs, it just happens that way. Ok ill give you that husband and wife teams sometimes work out, but why would you want to create a enivironment of conflict in your kitchen for no other reason than to have co chefs. It could work if your talking about promoting two less experienced sous chefs, but try and put two experienced chefs together,,,,, not buying it, havent seen it work in 15yrs of restaurant exp.

←

Dan Barber and Michael Anthony worked quite well together for long time at Blue Hill and then also at Blue Hill at Stone Barns until Michael recently left for the Gramercy Tavern.

Mind you, I am not espousing this, but it is possible and has been done successfully.