We've spent quite a bit of time lately pushing our ideas in different ways. Our restaurant has long been in desparate need of... an identity. It's interesting to see how things pan out. It's also interesting to look at things through the eyes of fresh perspective with the added clarity of retrospect. Take a brief look at the history of our building...
Our 3 building complex was built (more than 5, but less than 10) years ago by a local contractor who forged a partnership with Trump and was to be managed by a 3rd entity. The entire complex consists of a hotel condo and 2 larger condos lined up right on the beach on Florida's beautiful Atlantic coast. To this day, the 3rd building is still being constructed. Their were obviously many hands in the design of this beginning project and each set may or may not have had a vision of what was to finally be. In the time that followed, a brand was developed by the outside management company.
During those years of change, many key management positions saw new faces... one of those being our executive chef, Chef K. Later on I came on the scene, then later the management company backed out and a new company was formed by our current GM (another new face) and the building's contractor. We also ended up with a new F&B. In the span of this time, many ideas were thrown on tables, there were multitudes of flips and flops. Our restaurant (one of several f&b outlets within our jurisdiction) was named after the owner's daughter. It unfortunately has the word 'grill' in the title which is very misleading. The restaurant serves as a 3 meal a day service to our guests. We have also (many times) tried to woo the local crowd into our establishment. This is difficult for many reasons including the fact that many locals do not know we exist... the restaurant is located on the 2nd floor, has no enticing entranceway, and has no exterior signage to alert passerby's.
A lot of times we must question whether it is easier to begin a brand from scratch or recreate one in an existing operation?
In the span of the last 3 or so years (my time here), all ideas from contemporary Floribbean, to steak house, to Italian, to whatever-you-name-it have been thrown around. In order for any of these to work, both the passion to push it plus the hard-core diligence involved with actually making it a reality are required. As a side note, we started doing Paradigm dinners as a venue to keep us learning and playing as well as to generate buzz for our property. This has worked out quite well, but it does not help out the actual restaurant. Perhaps the big attraction to it initially was to create something new without having to re-create what was already there.
Today, we have an assembled team of very food-focused locals who have been asked to help us regenerate (or generate) a restaurant theme. The areas looked at include menu, ambiance, service, space, marketing, etc. The ideas already thrown on the table are very interesting. Looking at things through the eyes of others is refreshing. Part of the idea behind this is that we get a group of locals to help us redesign our vision, they also in turn feel ownership of this new vision, and we make some readjustments, people start to flock in, and (in our F&B director, Steven's words) we are busy thereafter. Our restaurant cannot be Paradigm. That will not work. (Many people assume that's our identity because it generates buzz and that's what they see represented on this blog, but our positions entail so so much more...) It must appeal to the flow of people that chance upon it... the group business, the families with children, the local savy food lovers, the drunk guy who lured his friends in from the pool bar. We must be able to deliver what we agree to with consistency and quality. There are many restrictions built in to our framework. This is where I give a lot of credit to Steven. He is constantly demanding of ideas. No matter how crazy or out there, everyone needs to bring something to the table... it's a mental pot luck dinner.
So... how does this really work. How do you build a brand where there is none? How do you do it in existing space? How do you make it work over a large demographic? This has been a huge part of our excitement lately. Some would see this challenge as a nightmare, but a nightmare is still a dream, a dream is an opportunity. Change must be physical and mental to have real effect.