FOLIOby LIZA MITCHELL
The lean economic times are looking up and Jacksonville-area restaurants are once again enjoying the fruits of their labor. Sales are on the rise, and restaurant owners are breathing a collective sigh of relief that the worst is behind them. Some regard the upswing as a sign of renewed financial security among their patrons. But all of the restaurants we spoke to about current dining trends attribute their continued success to loyal customers.
“We’re seeing an increase in sales. It’s a slight increase, but it’s an increase,” says Dennis Chan, owner of Blue Bamboo, a Southside restaurant and wine bar. “Luckily, we have a good, regular clientele base. People like us and they help spread the word, and we’re thankful for that. It keeps us going and it keeps us loving what we do.”
Chan says he made the decision to modify his menu in an effort to help patrons feel more secure in their decision to dine out. In addition to their standard Asian fare, Chan added what he calls “comfort food” to the weekend menu “just so that people can frequent us a little bit more.” Variety is key for the hip Asian eatery though. “We’re offering a chicken pot pie, with our own little Asian twist, of course. We also offer soft-shell crab and grits, and we do chicken and waffles as well,” he says. “Hopefully, we’ll continue to grow. That’s our goal in business: to continue to improve, making sure that everyone who comes through our door has an experience that they will want to come back for and one that they will want to share with their friends. We do what we can to make that happen.”
Growing Local and Other Tasty Trends
It’s not just what’s on the menu but what’s in many of the dishes offered at local dining spots that is vital to a restaurant’s success. “People are definitely more interested in where their food is being sourced. We make everything from scratch, so the first step is already taken care of. We just need to make people more aware,” says Jessica Tuten of bb’s Restaurant and Bar on Hendricks Avenue. “The local food movement in Jacksonville is growing quickly, and it’s really great to be a part of it.”
As the catering manager for bb’s, Tuten understands the importance of buying local and providing the freshest fare. To support the growing trend, the restaurant recently started an organic rooftop garden. “It’s great that our chef can climb out on the roof and pick something out of our garden to finish a dish,” she says.
While it’s great to provide farm-fresh or 100 percent organic ingredients, Tuten says their goal is to stay ahead of the trends and experiment with new dishes and cocktails while maintaining the consistency of their product. “The recession unquestionably hurt the restaurant business over the last few years,” she says, “but providing a consistent product and having loyal customers has really helped us get through.”
Brian Binniker, general manager of Taverna in San Marco, says the “farm-to-table” and slow food movement is receiving a great deal of attention for all the right reasons. The concentration is pushing local chefs to get “back to the basics” by offering more rustic and elegantly presented comfort foods. “Seems to me that there is a definite trend of less complicated and fancy foods and a move toward simple ingredients and simple dishes that, at the end of the day, is just really good food,” he says.
Binniker says gauging the customers’ responses to a particular trend can be a valuable tool to determine if there is a demand for certain ideas and provide a road map that chefs can use to plan for that demand. At Taverna, the farm-to-table concept is not only helping to make food more approachable and less intimidating, it is also giving food a story again, which allows the chefs to have more fun when preparing these type of dishes.
“In my experience in the last three years that I’ve been here, I’ve noticed that Jacksonville diners have developed a bit more respect for where their food comes from, as well as becoming a bit more adventurous in their eating and drinking,” Binniker says. “We’re a passionate restaurant, and we really take pride in serving dishes and wines with a great story behind it.”
Variety is the Spice of Life
Brian Siebenschuh, executive chef and managing partner at Orsay, says the availability of local ingredients has swelled as independent restaurants have increased their interest in and willingness to use them. Siebenschuh also notes that patrons seem to be stretching their tastes beyond the standard fare. “We are selling a lot of things like steak tartare, escargot, foie gras, pâté and liver mousse,” he says. “But at the same time, I think it’s hugely important to have a well-rounded menu with options for your less adventurous diners.”
Downtown at Olio Market, owner Greg DeSanto finds that his customers are also making bold menu choices. He says that guests are “more likely to try items that contain ingredients they haven’t had before or were afraid to try in the past.” By offering such a unique cache of ingredients, restaurants are creating a niche for themselves that caters to a specific clientele.
“In my opinion, the food scene around town is starting to mature,” DeSanto says. “The few restaurants that stand out from the crowd are using more exotic ingredients and are not trying to twist their menus to appeal to broad ranges of customers.”
Todd Lineberry of Mojo Kitchen, Mojo Smokehouse, Mojo No. 4 and Mojo Old City BBQ, says it’s familiarity that brings back most of his return customers. “We have a lot of repeat guests, and it seems like they have a favorite in our restaurant and they like to stick to it,” Lineberry says. “A lot of people are like that. They go to a certain restaurant for a specific item that draws them there, and if it’s good, they return for it.”
The success of a restaurant is not just measured by the books, but at the door as well. Abigail Wright is often the first person to greet guests when they enter The Fish Company in Atlantic Beach. As a hostess for the last two years, Wright has grown to know many of the customers who show up like clockwork for the weekly specials. “We have tremendous support from the community,” she says. “We know every Tuesday and Wednesday, we’re going to be slammed. That goes for Friday and Saturday too, and our Sundays are picking up as well. In my opinion, I really don’t think our business was affected by the dry spell.”
Discount Dining Don’ts
When the sales slump hit the hardest, many chain restaurants turned to discounts and Groupons to attract more customers. But most local restaurateurs have shied away from the mega-coupon system in favor of treating their local – and loyal – client base to a quality dining experience that is not available with a coupon. “The changes in the economy over the past few years have encouraged many restaurants to turn to coupons and discounts, training everyone to look for a deal to go anywhere,” says Lineberry. “We did not go that route. We just gave really great food for a good price.”
Siebenschuh says participating in Groupon and other mass discount programs can impact a restaurant beyond the numbers. It creates the perception of an inferior product. “I’m sure there are some success stories out there, but my personal feeling is offering discounts and coupons can be dangerous from the standpoint of devaluing your product in the eyes of your guests, so we’ve chosen to stay away from that style of marketing.”
Food costs aren’t the only growing expense facing restaurant owners. Like any business, they must also factor in the cost of transportation, insurance, staffing and waste disposal. DeSanto says he feels the pinch as owner and chef at Olio Market, as the costs have been “skyrocketing” over the last five years, but that doesn’t deter him from doing what he loves. “I just love to cook, and I like to surround myself with a staff that loves the same. I think that passion shows through in our food,” he says. “I don’t think I’ve ever been as satisfied as I am right now, making a living doing what I love, providing an opportunity for my employees, whom I care about, to earn a living, and even the occasional opportunity to help with a charity drive or event that allows me to give something back to the community.”
Love Thy Neighborhood
Karin Tucker, co-owner of Biscottis in Avondale, says they never felt the need to offer any deep discounts for three reasons: they always strive to provide a great product for a great value in a great atmosphere, regardless of the politics involved. While business at Biscottis is booming, Tucker says she is aware that success can be a cautionary tale.
Over the past few years, fluctuations in the volatile market made restaurant owners wary when their customers were suddenly forced to “tighten their belts” as the economy plummeted. “Our business is up this year, but it will never go back to where it was four or five years ago for a lot of different reasons,” she says. “Hopefully, it’s made people more aware of where they are spending their money. I think that’s a big part of it. We’ve gone through the freewheeling, never-going-to-be-an-end-to-this-party, and there was. It came to a screeching halt.”
She is confident that people are finally loosening their belts, and not just at the dinner table. The mood feels more relaxed, and people seem to be ready to get back to their lives and enjoy some well-earned entertainment. “I think that dining out is definitely on an upswing,” she says. “People are feeling more comfortable with their disposable dollars.”
As a small-business owner in an area comprised primarily of boutique enterprises, Tucker is grateful for the partnership with the community. The Merchants Association of Avondale recently completed a revitalization of the street and landscape with new, tree-lined sidewalks that give the area an attractive and inviting appeal, and that only helps attract more guests to the restaurants and shops.
Independently owned and operated restaurants also contribute to the soul and personality of the community, Binniker notes. He says he finds that locals are more eager to frequent businesses and restaurants that add to the fabric and character of their neighborhood. By showing their support to the local chefs and restaurants, they help create a forward momentum that benefits everyone. “It’s taking pride in your neighborhood, and we believe that our Town Center has something to offer. Between the restaurants and the shops, you’re dealing with individual owners. You are not dealing with the corporate world. There is a face to go with the name,” Tucker says. “The streets are busy at night. I think our little neighborhood is a really cool, happening place. We’ve worked very hard, and we feel very blessed and fortunate.”
Keep on Truckin’
Food trucks are also taking independent restaurant owners in a new direction and adding flavor to the city’s dining scene. Growing up in Washington, D.C., DeSanto says mobile food trucks were part of the urban landscape, and he is glad to see Jacksonville warming to the trend. He hopes to help dispel the myth that such mobile operations will have a negative impact on fixed restaurant spaces.
“The food truck enthusiasm is refreshing. Some people think that the food trucks hurt brick-and-mortar restaurants, and I tend to disagree with that view. If you’re passionate about your business, be it in an establishment or a mobile truck, then people will come to enjoy what you’ve poured your heart and soul into,” DeSanto says. “If a food vendor sets up shop outside your place and it impacts your business, then maybe you should look to your own business model to try and determine why, and not just ban [someone] from capturing business that you’ve let slip away.”
Currently, food trucks are prohibited from operating in Atlantic, Neptune and Jacksonville Beach. A group of food truck supporters recently challenged the Jacksonville Beach City Council to amend its ordinance and allow mobile eateries to operate, with permission, on private property. It is presently under review with the city’s Planning and Development Department. In Jacksonville, food trucks are permitted to operate within 300 feet of an establishment offering similar products.
Destination: Jacksonville
All local chefs have their own signature style and dishes that help to define them, but one common thread found throughout Jacksonville is the tremendous support and camaraderie between the professionals in the restaurant industry. It is that spirit of encouragement that not only promotes the success of each individual restaurant, but it promises to put Jacksonville on the map as a veritable dining destination.
“I really feel that the Jacksonville dining scene is headed in a great direction, and I hope that it continues to improve. With each new successful development, event or emerging chef, we all stand to benefit in the long run and bring this city to the forefront of the national dining scene, and I think that’s the direction we are headed in,” Binniker says. “We should be in that conversation because we have some amazing restaurants and bars, a growing passion amongst our local diners, and some extremely talented chefs that the rest of the country should be aware of.”
In a city the size of Jacksonville, there is a wide array of dining options to satisfy all appetites, from simple, home-cooked tastes to refined and sophisticated palettes. Restaurateurs are working diligently to serve their guests more than a meal. They want to give their customers an experience that will bring them back. And there is more than enough room for everyone willing to put forth the effort.
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