Last week, one of my faithful readers forwarded me an article titled, “Laguna, Where Restaurants Go to Die.”
For the record, I take exception to that Debbie Downer article.
And, I believe, a number of our very successful and serial restaurateurs AND our globally acclaimed international chefs would take exception to that article, too.
AND! The spreadsheet I’ve been keeping since 1995 of all the restaurants that have opened in Laguna Beach … and the much less few that have closed in Laguna Beach … that spreadsheet does, without a doubt, take exception to this rather dramatic, sky-is-falling headline, too.
I mean, come on folks! I’ve been specifically covering restaurants in this little vortex of ours for 16 years.
154 restaurant owners came here to die in “Laguna’s restaurant graveyard?”
Highly Doubtful.
At my last count, there are 154 food and beverage concepts in Laguna Beach. 154, ranging from coffee shops and gelato stores to Summer Tarango’s unfathomable Mercado foodie haven in North Laguna, to counter and full-service restaurants. They’re not dying!! And they didn’t come here … to die.
Now, some of you know that aside from my coverage of our beloved chefs and restaurateurs, I’ve owned a marketing agency for 30 years that has specialized in marketing strategy for restaurants and resorts all over the world. Restaurateurs hire me and my team to talk through the physical design and development as well as the concept’s brand development when they’re ready to either to breathe new life into a tired brand or sink roots into a town (or a section of town, as Laguna has its own quadrants that caters to certain types of F&B).
Here’s what the top restaurant developer in the country has to say:
Last week, I was kibitzing with Bruce Russo, who’s considered the leading restaurant developer in the entire country. He’s created many of his own successful concepts and he’s designed and built nearly 500 restaurants for his clientele. In a couple weeks, I’ll be interviewing Bruce for my “Millionaires” series and I know you’re all going to love what he has to say about what really makes restaurants work and not work.
Now, Bruce and I met here in Laguna when he was brought in to try to shepherd the development of the Taverna restaurant space from what used to be a Big Dog retail store on Ocean Avenue. He was put in place AFTER the architectural plans had been submitted and the build was underway, so there was only so much he could do … and we all know that Taverna didn’t make it. As that writer noted in the article about the purported “Laguna Restaurant graveyard,” three other concepts in the same space haven’t worked either.
This one restaurant space is a perfect example of the main two reasons why restaurants fail ANYWHERE in the world, not just Laguna Beach …
First, as Bruce says, “A lot of restaurants aren’t designed to make money.”
And second … as I say … “You’ve got to know your market and you’ve got to market TO that market.”
Now, granted, there are restaurants that simply don’t know how to run the business of a restaurant or they can’t seem to get the right management in place.
And, there can be extenuating circumstances like parking issues, inflated rents for the commercial space, lease disputes, historical designations, our seasonal downturn in the winter and the very real opinion of the Laguna locals that factor into the success of a Laguna restaurant … BUT we have many, many smart restaurant owners in this town who’ve risen above all of that AND have properly designed their restaurants AND have honed in on their niche audience.
Instead of writing something as joltingly negative as “where restaurants go to die,” let’s talk some success story spins here …
Perfect example: A successful evolution in the old Tommy Bahamas space
Remember when I reported the closure of Tommy Bahama’s on Nov. 5th, 2019? The first person on the phone to me was Restaurateur David Wilhelm who was interested in landing back in Laguna Beach.
Wilhelm is not only one of the most respected restaurateurs in the country but he’s what I’ve always referred to as one of “the three triumvirates” who established real culinary in Laguna Beach.
Wilhelm first created Kachina on Forest Avenue (1985 - now Brussels Bistro), then Sorrento Grill (1989 - now Harley’s which is transforming again) and then French 75 in the 1990s (now Selanne Steak Tavern).
Meanwhile, Michael Kang had created Five Feet in 1985, and the great Claes Andersen, in taking on the management of Hotel Laguna, created the fine-dining destination, Claes, also in 1985 (Golly, did I love their Crab Cake Benedict). These three masters truly put Laguna’s food and beverage on the map . . . . and then, along came John Secretan in 1988 to open his restaurant in a weed-grown field on the “wrong side of town” - and that became the flagship Zinc’s Cafe + Market. It just kept rolling from there.
But I digress. Back to the story at hand …
Wilhelm was interested in the Tommy Bahama’s space, but then-building owner Sam Goldstein wanted the entire space leased by one entity, meaning what had served as the Tommy restaurant space AND the Tommy retail space, nearly 5,000 square feet. David told me that, at that size, it was too large to create a successful restaurant, given the ebb and flow of Laguna’s seasonal traffic.
The space sat empty for four years until one of our heartier restaurateurs - Ivan Spiers of Mozambique, Skyloft and later Rumari fame - negotiated a portion of the space for a counter service concept, The Laguna Fish Company.
In a matter of months, though, Spiers pulled the plug on that concept because it wasn’t working and this is what’s great about Ivan - he’s a true entrepreneur through and through. If it doesn’t work, he makes a decision quickly and moves on. So, Ivan kaboshed the Fish Company and EXPANDED into the entire 5,000 square feet with the new concept Bodega, a cool and inviting combo that feels like part chic bar, part cool restaurant, part speakeasy and part cool retail store.
Ivan knows how to design a restaurant – in fact, look at what he’s now doing to change up the Mozambique brand.
And Ivan certainly doesn’t stand alone …
Restaurateur Cary Redfearn of the large Lumberyard and the small Slice Pizza & Beer concepts knew how to design both restaurants to please his clientele and keep the kitchen and wait staff humming.
Scott Mcintosh, who was first with the Nick’s concept, struck out on his own several years ago to create two hugely successful concepts that are back-to-back in North Laguna . . . the mid-sized Reunion Kitchen and the rather tiny Asada Tacos + Beer. Now, he’s building an empire up and down the California coast with varying sizes of these two concepts.
Restaurateur Chris Olsen of our locals favorite Wine Gallery … he shifted his retail wine store concept into a fantastic eatery that has his talented Chef Josh serving up a significant menu-and-a-half out of a kitchen that primarily boasts a giant pizza oven.
Nick’s Laguna Beach …
and South of Nick’s …
And Chef Marc Cohen who’s been here 29 YEAR with his day-after-day success at 230 Forest …
And our boys John Nyes and Chef Rainer Schwarz, who created The Deck out of what once was a boutique hotel …
And Chef Azmin Ghahreman, who originally established Sapphire as the anchor to the redeveloped Pottery Place … he sold to new owner Russ Bendel who’s somehow found a way to create even more success on the same name …
And Amar Santana and his business partner Ahmed Labbate, who invented the packed-to-the-gills Broadway …
And New Yorker Alex Glasser deciding that his favorite memory in Manhattan needed to be recreated “Laguna Beach-style” at the phenomenal Drake …
And definitely Brad and Greg Finefrock of the rocking newer entry Finney’s downtown … they ALL definitely know how to design restaurants that are entirely enjoyable and designed to profit.
And, we happen to have a few restaurateurs who know their niche audience, too
And, to the letter … all these restaurant geniuses I’ve just mentioned … they know who their target audience is and they know how to market to them.
The article I mentioned . . . . the “Restaurants Go to Die” article … surmised that Red Dragon recently shuttered because it had overpriced its food - it was, after all, just a Chinese food restaurant.
Now, it’s not the writer’s fault for surmising that Red Dragon just served up what I guess people would consider “regular Chinese food.” I think most people in this town had the same opinion. The fault lies in the restaurant ownership not educating the public properly about what they really DID serve up - probably the finest and truest Cantonese cuisine this side of San Francisco.
I mean. .. I’ll say again . . . no fault on the writer here but claiming that the Red Dragon was a Chinese food restaurant is like saying the mighty, mighty Drake Laguna Beach … or the great Amar Santana’s Broadway restaurant are like … Sizzler Steakhouses.
… Rebel Omakase in downtown Laguna on Forest Avenue serves up sushi, yes, but it’s not like any other sushi experience in town, and THAT’S why it has every reason to attach the price tag that it attaches. And people actually fly in to California to experience their food there.
In fact, as you’ll recall from my reports several months ago, both Chef Erik DeMarchi of Oliver’s Osteria and Jordan and Debra, the husband/wife team at Rebel Omakase both received Michelin nods, which means they’re on the radar for Michelin stars.
Now, I’ve stated before in my reviews of Red Dragon that this was (and is) the most beautiful restaurant space in Laguna Beach … certainly the most spectacular rooftop deck. It certainly didn’t close for lack of stunning finishes and views. When the food is as spectacular as what the Red Dragon served up, it wasn’t the price tag that made that restaurant close, either. They simply didn’t succeed at telling people who they really were and, thus, didn’t attract the people who really cared about and followed Cantonese
Chris Olsen at Wine Gallery - he knew exactly who he wanted to attract into that place - and now he has a never ending stream of dyed-in-the-wool wine lovers AND locals who have happily grown to love wine, too.
GG’s Bistro stays true to its Turkish-Mediterranean roots and brings in fans from miles around, even if just for a classic Turkish coffee on Sunday morning.
Brussels Bistro never strays from its Belgian roots, its glorious foodie servings hailing from a culture of German and French cuisines. Every time I’m in there, I feel as if I’m actually in Belgium because everyone around me is speaking a different language. Expats and European travelers absolutely love this place.
Gretchen and Archie McConnell at Starfish Laguna Beach … you wouldn’t believe now, given the never-ending bustle of this place, that they took on this concept when it was in an absolute nosedive. But these were experienced restaurateurs who knew exactly who their target audience was and they shifted their ship accordingly. It had always been great food at Starfish, and Neil Skewes’ craft cocktails had always been stellar from Day One of that restaurant’s establishment … but the marketing had to change.
When Kim Bryant took over the little Cove restaurant in 1989 in South Laguna to make it Coyote Grill, he knew exactly who he wanted to draw into that place. His daughter and co-owner Desiree Gomez, has only changed a handful of menu items since her Dad’s initial opening in 1989 because that crowd then is still that crowd now, only NOW it’s become a generational go-to for families, beach trekkers and skimboarders who bring their kids to the same place their parents brought them.
Trust me: Internationally acclaimed chefs don’t choose Laguna Beach “to die”
Do you know that we have more international chefs in Laguna Beach per capita than any other city in Orange County?
These folks walk in here with significant resumés, too. They’ve opened and run successful restaurants all over the world. I could spew an endless number of more names here, but I hope you’re getting the point here.
Take for example our Argentinian Chef Leo Bongarra who was also mentioned in that woeful article. This guy has opened more than 15 restaurants in the Beverly Hills area for one restaurant owner alone. He’s won acclaim and awards in three or four different countries for his successful concepts.
Now, some people could say that Chef Leo hasn’t had a good run here in Laguna Beach and that he’d be better off throwing in the towel, take his amazing talent elsewhere. But, no. He’s now putting finishing touches on his newest concept on Ocean Avenue. And, while he’s working on opening this new concept, he was just flown out to Soho in Manhattan to consult on a giant restaurant concept that needed his expertise.
I’m sure Chef Leo’s doors here will soon be thrown open to the same long line of fans that finds him wherever he goes in the world. Literally, this guy has global fans. I’m just glad he chose us, and I plan to be in that long line on opening day, let me tell you.
For the record, Laguna Beach has a ton of restaurants that ROCK because the people behind them ROCK
I could go on and on listing the fantastic chefs and LONG-RUNNING restaurants here in Laguna Beach … all of which, I might add, are owned by independent entrepreneurs, not franchises.
And this is really who we should all be celebrating and supporting.
These globally acclaimed chefs … these restaurateurs who knew the odds coming in and still are making it happen … how about we thank them for choosing our town, for expanding our culture and foodie heaven horizons … for maintaining the culture and context of this one-of-a-kind artist colony?
If you’re going to make a blanket statement, consider making one in support
In the end, my dear reader, they may be in a poorly designed restaurant. They may not even be very good about talking about themselves but WE can still help them succeed by regularly supporting them IN their restaurants. This helps them not close!
I’m still grieving the loss of some of the greatest chefs Laguna has known … Chef Craig Strong who left for Big Canyon Country Club … Chef Maro Molteni, who’s now building a restaurant in the middle of Laguna Niguel … Chef Nick Herrera, whose incredible talent was scotched from Rum Social on its closing. I just discovered him a few weeks ago – changing it up in his usual out-of-this-world way – at Station Craft in Dana Point.
What could we have done to support these chefs in a better way?
Yes, restaurants do close in this town. Restaurants close in every town. Sometimes they age out, sometimes the brand gets fatigued, sometimes they take on the wrong space for their concept. And yes, sometimes, they just don’t manage or market it correctly - that’s when they can call me or Bruce!
Restaurant closures do happen.
But making blanket statements about “a graveyard of Laguna Beach” is not only incorrect, it’s disrespectful to these amazing people who work harder and with more passion than anyone else I know.
I for one, would much rather feel that I’ve had a part in the story where Laguna Beach restaurants go to THRIVE … wouldn’t you?
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