Todd English
Attention to detail helps the multiconcept chef-entrepreneur stay true to his brands.
By Dana Bowen, Special to R&I -- Restaurants & Institutions, 8/1/2004
Chef Todd English is a busy man. Shuttling between his 15-year-old
flagship Olives in Boston and the new Todd English restaurant
aboard the Queen Mary 2, he manages to oversee operations at
15 other concepts, from casual Figs to seafood-centric Kingfish
Hall. With units in Boston; New York City; Washington, D.C.;
Aspen, Colo.; Las Vegas and Tokyo, how does English manage
to make each of his restaurants feel like a one-and-only dining
experience while maintaining quality and consistency?
Q. The Olive Group has enjoyed tremendous
growth in recent years. How do you oversee all locations?
A. Our success has been collaboration. We use not just my head
for creativity and operations but the talents of a number of
great people. The key to a successful operation is to surround
yourself with the best people and to make sure that everyone
has the same message and the same goal in mind. Communication
is key, and training and constant upkeep are imperative.
Q. Are there ingredients or corners that
most companies of your size cut that you feel are not worth
sacrificing or compromising?
A. There is no substitute for details when running a successful
organization. It also is important to spend the time necessary
to ensure the message you are trying to communicate gets properly
conveyed. The restaurant industry is a day-to-day business and
things change all the time. Mostly, it is important to stay true
to the concept and to pay attention to details.
Q. Which of your restaurants have seen
the most growth, and why?
A. Olives at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas really
hit the ground running, but we have been fortunate that all of
our restaurants have been very well received. Every year we push
ourselves to obtain and increase awareness in order to create
new business and introduce ourselves in new markets.
Q. Do you have any new concepts or locations in the works? What
kinds of research on a market or menu do you conduct in preparation?
A. We are looking at expanding the Figs concept in the near future.
As for research, we travel all over the world to see what is
new and interesting in the restaurant industry. We usually get
ideas from our trips and begin to develop a new restaurant from
there.
Q. Can you give examples of how you safeguard
quality and efficiency across all the concepts you operate?
A. Quality is about proper training and having very strict
standards and guidelines. Follow-through and follow-up are
essential in running a successful business. Buying power is
also important in ensuring quality. With a couple of restaurants
under our belts, we are able to buy the best-quality products
at reasonable prices. But it definitely helps to sometimes
have the mindset of a smaller, independent restaurant because
you can find unusual products and be a little more flexible
with your buying methods.
Q. How important is consistency among all the Olives or Figs
locations? Do the menus offer localized variations?
A. The menus at all Figs locations are generally the same, but
the flagship locations have a couple more entrées and
specials. Smaller locations have scaled-down versions of the
menus.
Q. Any tips about building a restaurant brand?
A. Each brand is built through similar ways but is a unique entity.
The key is to provide a consistent message that is easily understood.
It is important to maintain top-of-mind awareness by getting
in front of the appropriate target market.
Dana Bowen is a New York City-based freelance writer
View All Blogs
