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Owning a restaurant in this economy

S starlightwineMember
I'm am writing, and everyone else I can think of, to tell you about our incredible restaurant in Sebastopol, CA which has gone virtually unnoticed for the past 2+ years. As the restaurant owner, it is unbelievably frustrating to hear from customers: "This was the best [insert any dish on our menu] I have ever had!" repeatedly and still hear from passer-bys, "I didn't even know you were here." or " You serve food?" We are located Gravenstein Station, right on HWY 12, in the heart of the Russian River Valley, Sebastopol CA. A charming little restaurant in a 1949 Southern Pacific Lounge train car which oozes amibiance. We play 1940's big band era music and have a feeling you can only get from having your meal on a vintage streamliner from the golden era of rail travel. We have what we consider one of the rising stars of Sonoma county in our own chef Thaddeus Palmese as well. We have done winemaker dinners with pairings so well conceived, the winemakers themselves are are in awe of the way the food has manipulated the flavors present in their wine. Artfully plated? yes, Tweezer-borne precision? No. Just good looking plates of some of the finest food around.

Ted, my husband, and I moved up from LA in August of 2005. We are former film industry special effects people with no restaurant experience before Starlight, aside from the Chili's waitressing job I had in high school. Like a lot of people, we had a dream of someday having a small restaurant of our own. We decided to stop just talking about it and make it a reality. We asked Ted's cousin, Thaddeus Palmese, a chef with 18 years of working in restaurant kitchens, most notable being 201 (which sadly, did not survive Katrina), Emeril LaGasse's Delmonico, both in New Orleans and Steven Pyle's Star Canyon, in Dallas, to come up and help guide us through the opening, create a menu, and help hire a chef. Once he got here to Sonoma County , he loved it and decided to stay on in the role as our chef and we are glad he did! He most recently was voted Best Chef in Sonoma County by the North Bay Bohemian Readers Poll. The Chef voted best in Napa County by the same poll, Thomas Keller. We are in good company.



We have 2/3 of what makes a restaurant successful. We have the product: delicious entrees of the highest quality with ingredients sourced from the local farms and ranches in Sonoma County, but affordable. The ambiance: we are in a 1949 Pullman Lounge train car, which is just as charming, cozy and romantic as any place you have ever been. And to complete the dining experience, we have great service. (One of our servers was runner up in that same Bohemian Readers Poll.) All we need now is that last third, the customers. Everything is in place for a success story. We just need people to know we exist!



We invite you to come pay us a visit and see for yourself, at the very least, check out our website, starlightwinebar.com. Join our email list and be notified of upcoming wine events at starlightwine@sbcglobal.net

Sincerely,
Heather Van Doorn

owner
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S spoMember
In a case like yours, I wonder how much location has to do with it. I have never been to Sonoma but I am under the impression it is a dinner and wine type culture where people go out to eat often and there are tons of excellent well established restaurants. In San Diego, a nice location for a restaurant would be the Gaslamp, but a lot of good restaurants are unsuccessful there because good restaurants are a dime a dozen in that area. Sometimes restaurants that were praised by food critics were virtually empty. Royale Brasserie for example. A mediocre restaurant opens up in Rancho San Diego and does phenomenal business just because it is 25 miles from the Gaslamp and it is not TGIF or Outback. Maybe you are in a market that is just saturated and it will be tough to make your mark. I would actually like to eat at your place but it is too far away.

"winemakers themselves are are in awe of the way the food has manipulated the flavors present in their wine."

Maybe they could point people your way. Maybe offer free corkage on wines from select wineries you like. People buy the wine from the winery and enjoy it at your place with dinner?

"I didn't even know you were here." or " You serve food?"

I worked at a restaurant that had a problem like that. Is there something you can do to make your establishment more visible? It seems like the obvious thing, but some restaurants actually look closed when open for business and some are virtually camouflaged to potential customers. Maybe some patio tables would help or some advertising. I don't really know what would work for you, just some ideas I liked that I have seen used here in SD.
M mplswineguyMember
When I worked at Napa valley grille here in Mpls every month we had a wine dinner that was usually five courses paired with five different wines from a california winery. They had a womens lunch that was three courses once a month with three pairings as well. If you could do something like that with some Russian River Valley wineries at your restaurant that might be a good idea. You could do some kind of advertising or some kind of promotion tied into certain wineries in your areas tasting rooms as well. Good luck!
L lorrieMember
Follow your dreams, and try networking with wine merchants with flyers, neighboring wineries, and maybe a billboard. Also PSA's on the radio, if someone will give you free time. Also, as someone else stated try lunch menus geared toward special groups like women, or ladies night. Business folks at luch time. Have them put their cards in a bowl and pull once a week for a free lunch. Contact wedding planners to do bridal luncheons and rehersal dinners. If the food is good and they're sipping cava they will return Wink
quote:
Originally posted by Starlightwine:
I'm am writing, and everyone else I can think of, to tell you about our incredible restaurant in Sebastopol, CA which has gone virtually unnoticed for the past 2+ years. As the restaurant owner, it is unbelievably frustrating to hear from customers: "This was the best [insert any dish on our menu] I have ever had!" repeatedly and still hear from passer-bys, "I didn't even know you were here." or " You serve food?" We are located Gravenstein Station, right on HWY 12, in the heart of the Russian River Valley, Sebastopol CA. A charming little restaurant in a 1949 Southern Pacific Lounge train car which oozes amibiance. We play 1940's big band era music and have a feeling you can only get from having your meal on a vintage streamliner from the golden era of rail travel. We have what we consider one of the rising stars of Sonoma county in our own chef Thaddeus Palmese as well. We have done winemaker dinners with pairings so well conceived, the winemakers themselves are are in awe of the way the food has manipulated the flavors present in their wine. Artfully plated? yes, Tweezer-borne precision? No. Just good looking plates of some of the finest food around.

Ted, my husband, and I moved up from LA in August of 2005. We are former film industry special effects people with no restaurant experience before Starlight, aside from the Chili's waitressing job I had in high school. Like a lot of people, we had a dream of someday having a small restaurant of our own. We decided to stop just talking about it and make it a reality. We asked Ted's cousin, Thaddeus Palmese, a chef with 18 years of working in restaurant kitchens, most notable being 201 (which sadly, did not survive Katrina), Emeril LaGasse's Delmonico, both in New Orleans and Steven Pyle's Star Canyon, in Dallas, to come up and help guide us through the opening, create a menu, and help hire a chef. Once he got here to Sonoma County , he loved it and decided to stay on in the role as our chef and we are glad he did! He most recently was voted Best Chef in Sonoma County by the North Bay Bohemian Readers Poll. The Chef voted best in Napa County by the same poll, Thomas Keller. We are in good company.



We have 2/3 of what makes a restaurant successful. We have the product: delicious entrees of the highest quality with ingredients sourced from the local farms and ranches in Sonoma County, but affordable. The ambiance: we are in a 1949 Pullman Lounge train car, which is just as charming, cozy and romantic as any place you have ever been. And to complete the dining experience, we have great service. (One of our servers was runner up in that same Bohemian Readers Poll.) All we need now is that last third, the customers. Everything is in place for a success story. We just need people to know we exist!



We invite you to come pay us a visit and see for yourself, at the very least, check out our website, starlightwinebar.com. Join our email list and be notified of upcoming wine events at starlightwine@sbcglobal.net

Sincerely,
Heather Van Doorn

owner
C caliwineMember
Networking/advertising/marketing is needed. Can you make it with just locals or do you need wine country visitors to make the numbers work ?

There are many publication/websites that promote Sonoma. I'd start there first and then hit all the local wineries and get to know the tasting room/owners first. I usually ask the winery staff when making tasting appts about places they recommend to eat. There are plenty of food and wine events in Sonoma so participating in those will also help get the word out. I get the feeling Sonoma is a place where small business owners help each other out so talking to your peers about what adverstising they do that provides the best ROI may also help.

Good luck. Your place sounds like it has all the right stuff to make it work.
W wine+artMember
Heather, while I do not have any advice per se, I would share your dilemma with your current client base.

We have had a slew of closings by non-corporate restaurants here within the past month. ( found two more this week) I only wish I had known and could have put out a S.O.S. to all that loved the place to help. Summer is a very hard time in Dallas for smaller places, and it takes little to put them over the edge unfortunately.

I wish you well!
C chumleeMember
Figured I'd put my two cents in. I used to live in Sebastopol, on Pleasant Hill Rd, and I could walk to this place - however - not sure if it was called "Starlight" back then?. Last time I was there was New Years Eve Day, 2004. If I remember correctly, they had put out a special, condensed NYE menu. I don't remember specifics, but the food, wine, and ambience were unique and wonderful. I remember being served an ancient Madiera at the end of the meal and great conversations with the host and chef.

I truly feel bad to hear about your plight. I know you have gotten very good reviews from local publications, and from chat group users. As of 2004, I also know that besides a certain (way overpriced, imo) bistro, there was nowhere as good or interesting as your place to eat in town. You are a little bit off the beaten path, but once people know you're there it's an easy (and very worth it) walk to your place from downtown.

I guess I'll sign off with a "highly recommended, unique wine country experience that should not be missed if you are in the Green Valley/RRV area". Best of luck to you.
doubleddoubledMember
Here are my two cents as well. Though with the decline of the USD, my ideas/thoughts are probably just worth a penny.

1) Can you move to a different area with more steady traffic or denser population -- say Healdsburg, Sonoma, or even Santa Rosa -- and bring your 1949 SP Lounge train car?

2) It appears that there are a number of wineries near Sebastopol that visitors may visit. Have you considered inviting employees from these wineries to eat at your restaurant at a 50% discount during non-peak periods so that they can recommend your restaurant to winery visitors?

3) Ditto to B&B owners nearby.

Worth a try. Good luck and I'll keep your restaurant in mind the next time I am in the area.

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