One Quick Question for Larry Bouchard

Larry Bouchard, who got his first taste of the culinary world waiting tables in college, was an opening manager in 1993 when Bradley Ogden’s One Market Restaurant made its debut in San Francisco.

By Staff -- Restaurants & Institutions, 3/1/2007

Larry Bouchard, who got his first taste of the culinary world waiting tables in college, was an opening manager in 1993 when Bradley Ogden’s One Market Restaurant made its debut in San Francisco. Bouchard returned to the popular eatery as general manager in 1997 and, 10 years later, he still is charged with ensuring the restaurant upholds its commitment to excellent cuisine and service each day. That led R&I to ask:

Q: How do you keep One Market relevant, differentiated and attracting new business nearly 15 years after opening, especially with all the new competition in San Francisco?

A: For starters, we try to take advantage of every public-relations opportunity that comes our way. This includes advertising and self-generated promotion. We participate in civic and charity events: We wish to support [these causes], but it’s also an opportunity to make new friends. People get to taste what we do, so we try to give people the best of what’s available at the restaurant.

We’ve also been successful in promoting special prix-fixe menus on the weekends. That demonstrates our commitment to freshness and innovation on our menus, while at the same time keeping an eye out for value. When you’ve been around for a while, that’s one direction you can play with—people getting the best they can for the best value.

Another big part of our business is special events and private functions. We do an à la carte banquet where guests have multiple selections—they don’t have access to the entire menu, but they may choose from seven or eight entrées. Private-dining guests appreciate that those dishes come straight from our menu. People pass through our doors for a business-related dinner, and then come back on their own.