Yesterday I posted a question. Is it possible to have a stealth restaurant opening in NYC? Yesterday the chefs spoke. Tomorrow will be the media’s take.
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Today we hear from the press-strategists and the journalist-wranglers, the publicist: KB Network News, Bullfrog & Baum, Hall Company, and Robin Insley Associates.
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Full story after the jump.
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Karine Bakhoum, KB Network News:
I feel their pain believe me, but unfortunately due to the urgent need for people to know everything right away, as is evidenced by the growing popularity of blogs, even when we try, it is nearly impossible to keep the press or their undercover sources out. The press' raison d’être is to report what is NEW. Furthermore, once a restaurant is open and charging money, it is open season, so to speak. As soon as any diner has been in, the word of mouth campaign will start and, as we all know in this industry, news travels fast. Our advice therefore to our clients is always DO NOT OPEN until you are READY.
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You only have one chance to make a first impression.
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The only way in my opinion to open softly, is not to really open but to conduct private practice nights for as long as it takes for a restaurant to get its rhythm. This is not always possible due to operational costs, of course.
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Jennifer Baum, Bullfrog & Baum:
I believe the days of "soft" and "under the radar" openings are over. At this point, with the way bloggers are getting their information and the speed with which that information can be conveyed to the public (and the increased interest in such information), once a restaurant opens its doors, it's officially open to writers, reviewers, etc.
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That said, it is possible for a restaurant to open without the typical PR "plan" in place, simply allowing the "word of mouth" machine to take hold. Does this hold off critics? Not necessarily.
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So my advice to anyone about to open a restaurant would be to not open until you were really ready - kinks worked out and all.
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Sam Firer, The Hall Company:
Not entirely impossible. Just have to plug the leaks - such as purveyors, wine salesmen ... they all talk too much to the press and to industry people. It's a little harder on well-beaten paths like 7th Avenue or Avenue A or Smith Street, because freelancers crisscross those routes regularly, but someplace off the beaten path is quite doable. Although I must say that as much as chefs and restaurateurs say they want a quiet opening, none of them want to open so quietly that no one is in the room. "It’s hard to have your cake and not eat it too...."
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Steven Hall, The Hall Company:
It is almost impossible for a restaurant to open quietly. Media gets information from so many sources these days that someone is always willing to spill the beans. Architects talk, real estate people talk, graphic artists talk, all hoping to associate themselves with high profile places and get their name in the paper. The preview period where a restaurant would offer a discount doesn't keep anyone out, and with all the message boards about restaurants people are happy to put in their 2 cents. I say keep the construction shed up until you're ready to be seen.
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Robin Insley, Robin Insley Associates:
It’s a Catch-22. Given the costs associated with launching a restaurant in New York City, it is incumbent on the restaurant to bring a steady stream of people in the door beginning the first night in order to sustain themselves in the marketplace. The only way to get people in the door is to have people hear about the restaurant. The media is under pressure to get the news first and to break the story. So it’s virtually impossible to launch without anyone knowing unless you’re willing to forego big numbers at the early stages and if you’re willing to turn down any kind of publicity whatsoever. Given the immediacy of reporting today, the landscape has changed dramatically in the last few years and is changing by the minute. With the hype surrounding a new restaurant, even if chefs don’t like it they have come to expect an early review process. It’s the new game.
I must say, I agree with most of the comments made by both PR people and the chefs: it is NOT possible to open a restaurant today under the radar. That said, if the people involved in the restaurant are not known quantities, they stand a better chance of not igniting any interest, and opening slowly. Obviously, that's not the best case scenario.
I'm not sure the old-fashioned way of opening can work today, that of the soft opening, where at first you serve only family and friends for a few days and charge nothing, then follow that with a period of discounted food and beverage until the restaurant is ready and it's full prices for all. Once you're serving full price, diners have a right to expect full service, in every sense of the word.
And let's face it: when notables are involved, people will talk. We all know it, and we all need to be prepared to have the conversation...any time.
Posted by: Stephanie Faison of Restaurant PR, Inc. | February 14, 2007 at 04:33 PM