Why do you even have to be there then? Can’t you just send them emails with advice?
You assume people don’t ever charge for e-mails. You would be wrong.
At any rate, to get back to food (sorta), I looked up the Pok Pok situation. Apparently, Ricker said his reservation system worked well at the original location (24 seats), so presumably supply/demand makes a difference (which might explain why charging for a late cancellation/no show “works” at a higher-end restaurant).
Man that’s such a tough thing. It’s hard to get money if you’re an unproven chef (not that Shawn didn’t experience, just not recently in LA).
I charge for emails all the time. You are the one who made it seem impossible by saying you charge people if they cancel on you. How can you cancel an email?..
I thought he had a pedigree of some sort?
oh he did! he worked at Sona, I believe. And a ton of other good places in LA. I’m just saying as a first time restaurateur in LA he was a bit unknown. He was in Vietnam for many years too before coming stateside.
So what counts as being an established chef? Already owning a place like Bestia?
Maybe. Either that or you worked somewhere like Animal for many years (Jonathan Whitener). I don’t always recommend this but maybe if Shawn did some pop-ups and dinners around town to see where his concept would work best that could’ve helped the process. I still think Simbal crushes it in a better location, maybe Mid-City, Westside, Arts District. Hard to say at this point, it’s all kind of moot.
It’s quite shocking that he didn’t do that.
But I also sort of disagree based on the food I ate there.
The chef might be a nice guy but I don’t miss the food at all.
Opening in the Arts District sound like an absurd proposition for anyone to finance with family money unless they come from a massive amount of wealth.
I thought the food was fantastic the last two times I went there. It’s a shame critics couldn’t get over there to highlight the improvements that happened.
Aren’t you literally one of the most influential food critics in LA?..
The only people with more influence seem to be B Rod and J Gold.
and Patric Kuh
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Is he influential? I like him but never think of him really. Not as directing trends anyway.
Actually Matthew might be bigger than anyone in that department honestly. Milleniaks read Eater like the Bible even if they’ve never heard of JG or B Rod