C.C. Restaurant wants look-gooders

[mod*betty]

Just saw this on Craigslist:

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/evg/189650286.html

Long time established restaurant in center city is promoting their new outdoor dining, we are selecting attractive ladies and men to be seated in that area for great drinks and an appetizer that's absolutely scrumptious, which will be on the house as their guest for the evening during this promotion. The hours would be from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. Must be presentable, have pleasant attitude, show up for the dates committed, and over 21.We may use you more than once if you are what we're looking for. Please send a picture and must have a contact number, due to over whelming response, we do not have the time to ask for info you didn't include, we will bypass your response. We look forward to seeing you there!!

Guess us old plain folks will have to sit inside near the kitchen, since the outside tables will be filled with pretty folks being paid to be there!

Who could this be?!

[philadining]

Wow, a scrumptious appetizer as my guest?!?!

I've been out with many in the eGullet crowd, and I'm not sure any of the long time established CC restaurants could handle our blinding fabulousness... plus, they seem overly whelmed.

Could we submit our avatars, rather than a head-shot?

[Daniel]

Edited August 4, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[Daniel]

The scammer in me thinks whoever wrote this is a genius.. This guy is basically asking hot girls to send him there photos and phone numbers.. I would doubt a restaurant is doing this..

I want to do an ad.. A famous hotel is looking for attractive people to sit by there pool and get free food and drinks.. Please send a picture of yourself in a bathing suit with your phone number..

Edited August 4, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[Andrew Fenton]

The scammer in me thinks whoever wrote this is a genious.. This guy is basically asking hot girls to send him there photos and phone numbers.. I would doubt a restaurant is doing this..

I want to do an ad..  A famous hotel is looking for attractive people to sit by there pool and get free food and drinks.. Please send a picture of yourself in a bathing suit with your phone number..

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Daniel, you are an evil genius.

[davecap]

The scammer in me thinks whoever wrote this is a genious.. This guy is basically asking hot girls to send him there photos and phone numbers.. I would doubt a restaurant is doing this..

I want to do an ad..  A famous hotel is looking for attractive people to sit by there pool and get free food and drinks.. Please send a picture of yourself in a bathing suit with your phone number..

←

You all crack me up.

In DC, a well known restaurant actually hired models, both male and female, to hang around its bar when it first opened as it wanted to attract the "right" crowd, which I am guessing translates to people wearing pointy shoes, silly looking sunglasses, and other things that will be out of fashion in a week.

[Rich Pawlak]

I'd bet good money that the restaurant is Estia. and I have more than just a hunch here, trust me.

[Kent Wang]

I think it's a pretty slick idea. Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis has a fictional depiction of the kind of work it takes to open up a trendy club/restaurant/bar and the various lengths they go to lure celebrities to the opening and generate good buzz.

[Andrew Fenton]

I'd bet good money that the restaurant is Estia.  and I have more than just a hunch here, trust me.

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That makes sense. I wouldn't particularly want to sit outside on that block of Locust; it ain't so glamorous, you know? But if you paid me...

[Mummer]

I'd say Estia is cheeky to say "long time established."

Of course, we're talkin' rumors here, and Estia has been around longer than Applebees at Bookies.

[I_call_the_duck]

I'd bet good money that the restaurant is Estia.  and I have more than just a hunch here, trust me.

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Hey Charlie, you beat me to it. "Long time established?" Wait, not only does that sound grammatically incorrect, but did they just open a year ago? Are they talking dog years? Then again, writing "restaurant that desparately needs business" doesn't sound as good.

ETA: And Estia already offers free apps during their Happy Hours (with drink specials to boot). I don't need to send them no stinkin' pictures.

Edited August 4, 2006 by I_call_the_duck (log)

[jgm]

Maybe they're planning to film a commercial and go cheap on models. All they'd need to do is get releases signed, deliver the appetizer, hire the production company, .... and.....Done!

[SteveR]

I'd bet good money that the restaurant is Estia.  and I have more than just a hunch here, trust me.

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Speaking of Estia, did others notice that the "Best of Philly" award for Best Cofee went to Estia? Not sure what a cup of cofeee there costs but knowing how upscale it is the meal before that is probably $70.

Can't you just see someone showing up there and saying "I'm jusr stopping in for a cup of coffee. I read that you have the Best in Philly. ;-)

Steve R

[marinade]

Ya’ know we can have some really mean spirited fun with this. Once someone confirms the restaurant we can run another post on Craig’s List:

Casting Call

Male & Female

Harpo Marx look-alikes must stay in costume and character and be ready to grope.

(Location of said restaurant on a busy hottie night)

All we have to do is bring a bunch of folding chairs, sit across the street and watch the fun. Be a great idea for a site for an eGullet pot-luck outing.

[Jeff L]

The scammer in me thinks whoever wrote this is a genious.. This guy is basically asking hot girls to send him there photos and phone numbers.. I would doubt a restaurant is doing this..

I want to do an ad..  A famous hotel is looking for attractive people to sit by there pool and get free food and drinks.. Please send a picture of yourself in a bathing suit with your phone number..

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Yeah, it really worked well when I did that last year, still going through all the pictures and numbers. Amazing how many people think they're good looking.

Seriously tho, this was just what I thought was up here too. I must say it is pretty ingenuous in a very disingenous sort of way.

[jsolomon]

Who could this be?!

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Not me. I gotta face made for radio.

[Vadouvan]

I'd bet good money that the restaurant is Estia. and I have more than just a hunch here, trust me.

Its a great promotion except it doesnt really work because its redundant.

Restaurants that have outdoor areas that are attractive, condusive to dining and attracting people for cocktails ARE doing those things already.Estia is in a location that isnt outdoor food friendly, lots of commercial traffic, condo being built next door, greek food and no real energy.

I happen to love the food at Estia actually but the outdoor dining is an afterthought.

Estia has Great food, no energy.

Rouge has great energy, mediocre food.

It depends on how you want to define yourself....

To set up fake attractive people to give the appearance of desirability does not work unless you do it for an extensive period of time. Everyone misses the point, getting attractive people to sit outside your restaurant isnt about hiring people, its about treating attractive people who are otherwise predisposed to spend thier money at your restaurant with VIP treatment so they return with thier pals. They would be better of simply getting the mailing lists of Philadelphia Style magazine or Cashman PR.

If it works, I stand corrected.

[Sneakeater]

Everyone misses the point, getting attractive people to sit outside your restaurant isnt about hiring people, its about treating attractive people who are otherwise predisposed to spend thier money at your restaurant with VIP treatment so they return with thier pals.

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Key point.

[TarteTatin]

Thank goodness I'm not involved with this.

Hmmm.

Doesn't sound kosher.

[Rich Pawlak]

Ya’ know we can have some really mean spirited fun with this. Once someone confirms the restaurant we can run another post on Craig’s List:

Casting Call

Male & Female

Harpo Marx look-alikes must stay in costume and character and be ready to grope.

(Location of said restaurant on a busy hottie night)

All we have to do is bring a bunch of folding chairs, sit across the street and watch the fun. Be a great idea for a site for an eGullet pot-luck outing.

←

I truly love the way his dev ious mind works, don't you?

[KatieLoeb]

Wow - are they this desperate at Estia already?? Yikes! I guess they were wrong about Philadelphians wanting to buy fish for $30/lb. I'm stunned.

As for eating outside there, it really is a fairly unattractive block. And let's not forget that the beautiful people want to be seen. That's why they'll wait an hour for that table at Rouge. When there's little walk by traffic unless it's the staff of the Academy of Music, I doubt anyone is going to change their route to go see the "pretty people" on the 1400 block of Locust Street. I mean really. Why not just put up a giant window display in front of the restaurant and we can all go gawk at them as if it were an aquarium or a zoo exhibit? Now that Smoked Joint is closed across the street we really can set up those beach chairs and a few coolers and make a whole evening of pointing and laughing.

Vadouvan's got it right. And if they're clutching at straws this hard, I say it doesn't bode well for them.

Perhaps lowering their prices and having better service would do better toward their eventual goal of increasing revenue.

[Andrew Fenton]

Doesn't sound kosher.

Incidentally, that was a problem for the Smoked Joint, too...

[mrbigjas]

Wow - are they this desperate at Estia already??  Yikes!  I guess they were wrong about Philadelphians wanting to buy fish for $30/lb.  I'm stunned.

i would be happy to pay $30 a pound for really good fish, served in portion sizes that i actually eat, with some well-made greek sides. i mean, i rarely eat more than about 6 oz of meat per meal, so that would be what, $12? heck at that price i'll pay for the sides.

unfortunately i guess you can only get the whole fish.

i haven't been to estia, but i love good greek food, and after all it's well known that i'm stunningly attractive, so maybe i should take them up on it....

hahahahahaha sorry, i can't help it. maybe i'm just one of those philadelphians who doesn't respect his hometown, but this kinda thing in this town is just too funny to me.

[Holly Moore]

Has anyone confirmed the restaurant is estia or are we perhaps doing them a disservice by building on speculation?

As a sidenote, when I opened my restaurant back in the late 70's, the guy I hired to run the dining room was urging me to announce the opening and then not accept reservations or let anyone have a table because we were "totally booked." I didn't follow his advice.

[serpentine]

Has anyone confirmed the restaurant is estia or are we perhaps doing them a disservice by building on speculation?

I was thinking the same thing. Honestly, there are dozens of restaurants that might stoop to this attempt at buzz who are in fact "longtime established," especially considering restaurants all seem to throw a few tables on the sidewalk these days.

Even if Rich has some kind of insider scoop that Estia was considering this, it doesn't mean that this ad is for Estia -- it's hardly an unknown marketing ploy.

(Mind you, I don't really care about Estia. I just don't love it when threads spiral into mere gossip.)