The Revolution (new restaurant concept)

[AaronM]

The following passage is an excerpt from a business plan I'm writing for a new restaurant. It calls into question the seeming necessity of luxury in modern food; and the cost associated with having an exceptional meal. In my opinion this type of establishment is long overdue. We need to take interesting, amazing food out of the hands of the few and into the hands of the many.

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Our restaurant will be like no other restaurant in the world. The entirety of modern cuisine is a prohibitively expensive, often stuffy, affair. We aim to change that by bringing xxxxxx a restaurant that serves modern food, with cutting edge techniques, in an ever evolving 5-course tasting menu for $40 dollars per person.

The goal of any business is to make money, but more than that we aim to change the perception of what can be done with food. The majority of the public has never had the experience of a progressive tasting menu, and we plan to show that this is not only the best way to experience food, but that it can be done in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. We reject the assertion that high quality food must also be expensive food. Truffles are not necessary to have an exceptional dinner. Sirloin can take the place of Wagyu. We hold ourselves to the same standards of excellence as the top restaurants in the world - yet serve food at 1/3 the price. Exceptional cuisine should not cost a week's pay. One need not be surrounded by gilded cognoscenti to have the best meal of your life.

We plan on furthering our commitment to showing that this food is not only delicious, but attainable, by offering cooking classes 1 night a week in our kitchen. Every week we will choose a dish prepared in our restaurant and teach a group of 10 how to make that dish in their homes - without commercial equipment - for $100 per person.

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I'm very interested in feedback on this concept.

Edited March 16, 2011 by AaronM (log)

[Genkinaonna]

I'd go. Especially for the classes. I would think it might be difficult to cater to differing ability levels in such classes, though.

[AaronM]

Knife skills would definitely be a rotating class we'd have to keep in there on occasion to accommodate new people taking some of the more advanced classes, but I would certainly do my best to keep it open to people of all skill levels. The classes would be divided into groups of 5, with myself and my sous moving back and forth to make sure everyone gets personal attention at all points.

[Honkman]

It's always good to see new restaurants opening with different ideas. But I have some problems with the idea that serving interesting or "amazing" food is only possible in high-end/high-cost restaurants. There are today many exceptional restaurants everywhere which serve very creative food on a high quality level for reasonable prices. Just two examples for two cities where I eat often - San Diego and Los Angeles. In San Diego one of the more popular restaurants, Wine Vault, serves creative food often as a 5-course tasting menu for $30 or 10-course tasting menu for $40-60. One of the most talked about restaurants in LA for very unusual flavor combination and creative cooking at the highest level is Bistro LQ which again serves everything at very reasonable prices including a 10-course tasting mneu for $90 which might be the best deal in town. And there are many more examples everywhere. I like your idea to serve creative food for reasonable prices but it is far from a novel concept

[AaronM]

I'd never heard of a tasting menu that low in price.

But I live in Greenville, SC.

That's excellent though - I'll have to see what they do!

[Honkman]

These were just two examples. In California are many restaurants where you can get excellent tasting menus for $8-14 /course. If you go on my blog there are a few reviews of such restaurants as Bistro LQ, Blanca, Hatfields

Edited March 16, 2011 by Honkman (log)

[runwestierun]

I remember Steven Shaw, I think, reviewing an amazing sounding place like this in Colorado. I couldn't find it for you, though. Maybe if he reads this he might chime in.

[Chris Amirault]

This sounds somewhat like schwa in Chicago, where I ate on a recent trip: lower-end prices, (with haphazard decor and service) but an extremely ambitious modern approach to food. I loved it, but at least one or two people in my party vastly preferred the more homey (and also excellent) Lula Café.

Which is to say, I'd go back to schwa, but I don't know that the others in my party would do the same. Having been involved with an ambitious new restaurant starting up in the past year, one that changes its menu every night, I am deeply aware of the tenuous relationship between regulars and regularity of offering, particularly at at this price point.

In short, it sounds risky to me, and it definitely depends on your location. If you're in a large urban area with no similar offerings, well, it might work. But in most locations this would be very tough to pull off.

[rykomatsu]

eVe in Berkeley, CA is higher than your quoted price at ~$40 for a 3 course (but I'm quite full after 3 courses there, I find), but I think their concept is pretty similar to what you had mentioned, as well as the other locations listed in this thread.

Not sure of the cost, but they also recently started a cooking class series it seems. I agree with Chris that this would be heavily location dependent, but from what I heard from the chef at eVe, they've been pretty successful in carving out their own niche in the last year and a half or so.

[AaronM]

I just read everything on the schwa site - very inspirational. It's extremely similar in concept, but at a higher price point. Even the no-wait-staff no-wine thing is something I've been discussing with my would be sous. Also, the punk rock attitude of the staff. I grew up as a skate punk metal head and fell into cooking when I was 14.

This is very embryonic at this point - I've got about 1/4 of the business plan written and the basic start up cost done; but there's no chance this'll open inside of a year. Living in Greenville (a culinary wasteland) it's fantastic to learn there are others who feel the same way I do. I've tried to search the internet for these type of places, but never found anything. This forum has been a blessing in that sense.

Thanks for the feedback so far.

[Genkinaonna]

Keep us up to date on how it's going! Where is Greenville?

[AaronM]

Northwest South Carolina. About an hour and a half south of Asheville North Carolina.

[karlos]

I think people may choke on the $100 cooking classes. Also, not sure what a regular take on a weeknight for an average resto there is but you're going to tie up your restaurant for $1000 not counting expenses. And you and your sous aren't off that night, you're working/teaching. 2 hour classes at the NY wine and food center (nywcc.com)-don't know how to make links- are about half that. But I do love the idea of classes and wish some of the more creative places here would do the same.

[robert40]

It may be worth noting. There are those in the industry that have suggested to Michael Carlson that he get a wine/beer licence. Though profitable it apparently is not something he is interested in doing. The link below offers some insight into this.

http://www.gq.com/food-travel/alan-richman/200901/chicago-michael-carlson-schwa-charlie-trotter

[Holly Moore]

Offering Exceptional Food to Ordinary People

What if one is not "ordinary?"

That said, I'm all for the concept. In Philadelphia it is hard to escape a gastropub's app, dinner and entree for less than $40. $40 for state of the art cuisine should have lines out the door.

I agree that $100 for a class is on the high side, especially since five courses go for $40.

[Calw]

Love the idea and would love to take the classes. I come to Pittsburgh a lot on business from the bay area - and have had to slog our way through some moderate food. BUT TONITE we ate at SALT OF THE EARTH wonderful local modernist cuisine - most expensive entre - $23 a delicious skate wing. 5 dined on starters mains and a cocktail each - total with tip - $200. The menu was unique and the food well prepared and each dish had just the right amount of twist to be delicious and very edible. The chef does a bit with local fir infusions, local on just about as many things as possible from what I could tell from the drink bases to the bacon dust candy in the dessert. And while some say the portions were not big, I disagree - i was stuffed as were my 2 Pittsburghians.

[AaronM]

Offering Exceptional Food to Ordinary People

What if one is not "ordinary?"

That said, I'm all for the concept. In Philadelphia it is hard to escape a gastropub's app, dinner and entree for less than $40. $40 for state of the art cuisine should have lines out the door.

I agree that $100 for a class is on the high side, especially since five courses go for $40.

Well, by "ordinary" I mean "Not Rich". It was just a tag line to the thread, not a statement of purpose.

The idea behind the classes and their cost is that the restaurant will be shut down for the evening to accommodate the class, everyone will get their own ingredients to prepare, and receive personal time with the chef - and we need to pay ourselves for our time.

And some of the techniques would be rather eye opening to some people - like quasi-sous-vide with plastic wrap, a candy thermometer, a pot of water, and some ice cubes. How to make cool stuff with dry ice. Dehydrating. Everything that goes into each dish will have a method to prepare it at home for the students. But we're not just teaching them how to make that one thing, we're helping them develop actual skills they can use on their own. I think $100 for what would amount to around a 3 hour class is pretty reasonable. And there'll be booze.

[runwestierun]

Will you serve lunch? If not, do your classes in the day.

[Gregg]

Love the idea of the cooking classes, but might be worth looking at it more as a marketing strategy than a profit center. I'm assuming you would make a good profit at $100/head, but you will probably scare off a lot of potential repeat customers at that price point. You want to run a restaurant, not a cooking school, right? If you cut the price back to where you do just a little more than break even, but create a buzz, the word of mouth will spread. Make it an event, limit the number of people. If an "invitation" becomes a prize that people want it could be huge for you. Exclusivity sells. Do them on a night that is usually a lousy for service, but when people need to be there anyway to receive shipments, check orders or prepare menus.

Think carefully about not serving liquor, it's a major profit generator in a fine food environment. Talk to liquor distributors about wine with cutting edge names and labels, or even have them custom label for you with images that would appeal to your target market.

What about cross promotion with businesses outside the food and liquor industry? You mentioned a skater/punk sensibility. What appeals to that crowd (assuming they are your target market)? You could cater a "happy hour" at a tattoo shop or have a skate shop or bling shop come by your classes with their goods and a special discount for anyone in the class. You know the market, I don't, but you get the idea.

Have you projected what your food costs will be as a percentage of overall expenses (ie. can you afford to sell food at the price point you're trying to hit)?

[AaronM]

I've got the food cost pegged at 28%.

[Gregg]

That's not terrible, but sounds a little high. Probably ok if your rent is cheap and equipment leases are reasonable.

[Busboy]

I just read everything on the schwa site - very inspirational. It's extremely similar in concept, but at a higher price point. Even the no-wait-staff no-wine thing is something I've been discussing with my would be sous. Also, the punk rock attitude of the staff. I grew up as a skate punk metal head and fell into cooking when I was 14.

I am unsure why I would want to be waited on by anybody who brought their "punk rock attitude" to the floor. Hair, ink, piercings -- fine. Attitude? not so much. Though perhaps I misunderstand.

More supportability, I have more than once walked into a dining room and silently cursed the fact that the last few dollars of my entree were paying not for ingredients but for over-the-top decor that did not excuse the mediocrity of the cuisine.

Here in DC, Michael Landrum has been wildly successful with his growing Ray's the Steaks group (including the now-legendary

r -- Ray's Hell) pursuing a low-overhead, high value strategy. I've spoken with him a couple of times and he is quite psychotically devoted to the idea, including also no real decore and excellent wine values. He bragd about being profitable with food costs over 40%.

[robert40]

I just read everything on the schwa site - very inspirational. It's extremely similar in concept, but at a higher price point. Even the no-wait-staff no-wine thing is something I've been discussing with my would be sous. Also, the punk rock attitude of the staff. I grew up as a skate punk metal head and fell into cooking when I was 14.

I am unsure why I would want to be waited on by anybody who brought their "punk rock attitude" to the floor. Hair, ink, piercings -- fine. Attitude? not so much. Though perhaps I misunderstand.

More supportability, I have more than once walked into a dining room and silently cursed the fact that the last few dollars of my entree were paying not for ingredients but for over-the-top decor that did not excuse the mediocrity of the cuisine.

Here in DC, Michael Landrum has been wildly successful with his growing Ray's the Steaks group (including the now-legendary

r -- Ray's Hell) pursuing a low-overhead, high value strategy. I've spoken with him a couple of times and he is quite psychotically devoted to the idea, including also no real decore and excellent wine values. He bragd about being profitable with food costs over 40%.

I believe this description has been greatly exaggerated by the media and others on the Internet. Even Michelin contributed to this false image with a innuendo tweet suggesting smoke drifting out the kitchen. In my experience had the cooks been in a uniform and not aprons I would have never known they had worked in the kitchen. Very professional and equal to other such restaurants, if not better.

[Busboy]

I just read everything on the schwa site - very inspirational. It's extremely similar in concept, but at a higher price point. Even the no-wait-staff no-wine thing is something I've been discussing with my would be sous. Also, the punk rock attitude of the staff. I grew up as a skate punk metal head and fell into cooking when I was 14.

I am unsure why I would want to be waited on by anybody who brought their "punk rock attitude" to the floor. Hair, ink, piercings -- fine. Attitude? not so much. Though perhaps I misunderstand.

More supportability, I have more than once walked into a dining room and silently cursed the fact that the last few dollars of my entree were paying not for ingredients but for over-the-top decor that did not excuse the mediocrity of the cuisine.

Here in DC, Michael Landrum has been wildly successful with his growing Ray's the Steaks group (including the now-legendary

r -- Ray's Hell) pursuing a low-overhead, high value strategy. I've spoken with him a couple of times and he is quite psychotically devoted to the idea, including also no real decore and excellent wine values. He bragd about being profitable with food costs over 40%.

I believe this description has been greatly exaggerated by the media and others on the Internet. Even Michelin contributed to this false image with a innuendo tweet suggesting smoke drifting out the kitchen. In my experience had the cooks been in a uniform and not aprons I would have never known they had worked in the kitchen. Very professional and equal to other such restaurants, if not better.

I'm not sure what you are talking about. If it helps, the "punk rock attitude" paragraph and the Ray's paragraph are more or less unrelated, the former concerning a general concern about "attitude," and the latter being an endorsement of the low-cost approach to superior dining.

[gfweb]

I'd do a treatment of this project and send it to food network or one of them.