News
10/21/1998 - Special Occasions Draw People to Elegant Restaurants
Wednesday, October 21, 1998
COLUMN: Prime Dining
by John Przybys · Review Journal
It's your birthday. Your parents' anniversary. Your daughter's college graduation. Or maybe a good friend is in town and you just feel like splurging for an evening of fine food and luxurious ambience.
There are dozens of places in Las Vegas suitable for special-occasion dining or impressing an out-of-town visitor. But creating the mix of food, service and ambience that makes a restaurant a special-occasion staple doesn't happen overnight.
It takes time and consistency, restaurateurs say.
Fiore at the Rio, 3700 W. Flamingo Road, is the setting for many birthday parties, anniversaries, graduations and other special occasions, says Craig Gilbert, the Rio's vice president of food and beverage.
It's the same at the Top of the World gourmet room at the Stratosphere, 2000 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Manager Michael Cornthwaite estimates 20 percent to 25 percent of people in the restaurant on any given night are celebrating a special occasion.
"We do all kinds of special occasions," he says. "People come for wedding dinners, anniversaries, graduations, proms, you name it."
In downtown Las Vegas at 401 S. Sixth St., Andre's French Restaurant for 19 years has been a favorite special-occasion dining option for a clientele comprised of about half locals, according to owner Andre Rochat, who also has a branch of the restaurant at the Monte Carlo, 3770 Las Vegas Blvd. South.
"Some people who can't really afford to come two or three times a month or whatever come by for birthdays," he notes. "And a lot of people have gotten married here over the years and, every year, they're here for an anniversary dinner."
Las Vegans have more upper-end restaurants suitable for special-occasion dining than ever. And that means competition for diners' dollars is stiff.
"There are a lot of choices in town, and I harp to our employees about understanding that people have a lot of choices now," Gilbert says. "When (diners) choose you ... you give them the best dining experience they've ever had."
Good word-of-mouth is crucial to developing a reputation as a special-occasion restaurant. That, Gilbert says, takes time and continuous tweaking and upgrading of a restaurant's ambience and offerings.
"When you open a restaurant, you have your own vision of how you want it to look and feel," Gilbert says. But, he continues, "I don't think you ever open a restaurant overnight that's an instant success."
When Fiore opened five years ago, "we wanted, naturally, to make it the best dining experience offered to our customers," Gilbert says. "And, in the beginning, it was tough because people didn't know Fiore. It was something that we re-created over time."
In contrast, the opening of the Rio's year-old Napa benefited from its association with famed chef Jean-Louis Palladin, Gilbert says. "In addition to that, we had a must-see attraction, which was our wine cellar and wine collection. So, right away, people were primed more (for Napa) than for Fiore."
"(Fiore) had many years to develop -- to find -- its niche, and I think it's done really well," Gilbert says.
"When (Fiore) first opened, we were giving away coupons to get (diners) in the door. Now, it's sold out every night. You have to build your clientele and your reputation as a restaurant. It's a long process."
It doesn't hurt to offer diners an ambience or an amenity other restaurants can't. Rochat attributes his downtown restaurant's longevity to the fact that "we kind of created our own little niche here."
The remodeled home is reminiscent, both inside and out, of a French country home. "How many restaurants have a patio like we have? It's a beautiful patio. And the nicest part is that, after 5 o'clock, downtown is nothing, so it's absolutely quiet and you'd think you were in the country," Rochat says.
Similarly, being a revolving restaurant atop the tallest structure in town offering the best view of the Las Vegas Valley hasn't hurt Top of the World's bid for special-occasion status.
"There are a lot of nice restaurants in town and a lot of good food in town," Cornthwaite says. "But when you have good food with that kind of atmosphere, that will be really memorable, and I think the decision (of where to go) is made pretty easily."
Still, amenities or ambience alone aren't enough. Diners usually are willing to pay a financial premium for a special-occasion dinner. And, as the numbers on their bills increase, so will their expectations.
The fact that Top of the World revolves atop a tower "is a bit of a magnet, a bit of a draw, (and draws) a little bit of attention," Cornthwaite says. "But I think, after a certain amount of time, every restaurant has to just fall back on the reputation they've established with their food service and dining atmosphere."
Living up to -- or, better yet, exceeding -- a diner's expectations is, Cornthwaite says, "the test any restaurant faces."
"The biggest key is consistency," Gilbert says, noting inconsistency is deadly when a diner is not merely having a meal, but celebrating a special event or trying to impress a friend.
"Say someone comes to a restaurant for the first time and has a phenomenal experience and goes back to a friend and says, `I tried this restaurant, it's phenomenal and I want to take you there to show you how great it is,' " Gilbert says. "If they come back and you let them down, you've lost them for life because you've embarrassed them in front of their friends and family.
"So, I honestly believe people choose a place knowing what they want before they get there and knowing what their experience is going to be. If you disappoint them, you've lost them. If you exceed their expectations, you have them for life."
Gilbert adds that he's not sure locals are necessarily tougher in judging a restaurant, "but they're very supportive of things that they like."
Locals may be more apt to go where someone recommends, he continues, and "someone who lives here has more choices and more time to decide (where to go than tourists). They're more discerning. They can choose anyplace in town and aren't going to be here just two days."
Maintaining status as a special-occasion restaurant is a never-ending process, because what creates favorable word-of-mouth today may not be enough tomorrow.
"You definitely need to keep pace with other restaurants in town," Cornthwaite says. "And if you can stay a little ahead, that's even better."
Fiore, for instance, now has a cigar terrace that's popular, Gilbert says. Diners "can come for the evening, have a drink at the bar and a phenomenal dinner experience, and then, after dinner, have drinks, a cigar, dessert and conversation. It's a conducive environment for entertaining a guest or ... doing business."
Rochat says there'll always be a place in Las Vegas' dining landscape for special-occasion restaurants. "I think every large city has one," he says. "Every city has special places."
And, Cornthwaite says, diners always will find a way to fit an occasional, pricey special-occasion dinner into their budget.
"I think if it's a special occasion, people just find the money, and they're willing to have that really extra-special night," he says.