Since most people visit well-known restaurants for their food, it’s no wonder that more places are competing by bringing in top chefs to lead the cooking team.
Adding a famous name to an eatery raises it to a higher level and commands attention from tourists and regulars alike.
Gotham Bar and Grill
This restaurant has been around since 1984 and started a trend that many other eateries have since copied.
Chef Alfred Portale took over the bar and grill and transformed it into a place of fine dining similar to French restaurants he had known. He often uses local ingredients for a fresh taste mixed with international flavors. It is a special place to visit anytime you are in New York.
Lucky’s Roadside
This restaurant hired a new chef, Herman Hernandez, to make some big changes. He brought in a new menu, which gave a new look and feel to the restaurant. Hernandez has an impressive resume with 18 years at Casanova and eight years in Del Mesa Carmel.
The new menu covers seafood entrees and creates a distinct impression. In this case, the decision to hire a well-respected chef created a feeling of a brand new restaurant, something that some eateries need to get patrons’ attention.
The French Quarter
Another new restaurant that was opening in the French Quarter just hired on Slade Rushing as executive chef. He was formerly the co-chef of MiLa with his wife, Allison Vines-Rushing, another famous celebrity. The restaurant is slated to be opened in the fall of 2014 and will feature a combination of old and new recipes with an innovative flare. It’s a way of reminding patrons of tradition but appealing to today’s diners.
The former Brennan’s restaurant has been involved in bankruptcy proceedings and was evicted from its location. With a new location and possibly a new name, a new menu and chef is just what it needs to bring in new and former patrons. It’s just another way of creating a new look and reputation for an eatery with a long history.
Finding a Fabulous Chef
Restaurants looking to compete but without the budget to hire top chefs can look to top culinary schools.
In the article, 3 Culinary Schools in Food-Famous Cities, it mentions the advantage students have of learning in a city known for its food. It allows them to become immersed in food as they experience it on the streets and practice it in the classroom. Restaurants that are lucky enough to get these graduates could end up with a future celebrity chef.
In order to compete with restaurants that have a long standing reputation, new eateries must bring out the big guns.
That includes wooing famous chefs from their current restaurants, often with the promise of the freedom of being able to develop a new menu.
In cities known for their cuisine, it’s often the only way a new dining place has to stand out and stand a chance against the veterans.
About the Author: Joyce Morse is an author who writes on a variety of topics, including restaurants and small business.