Shea's new Food & Wine and Restaurant Projects in the news

(Star Tribune Taste Section by RICK NELSON 1/29/09)

Grand getting Brasa
The speculation is over. Chef/owner Alex Roberts confirms that he's opening a second Brasa Rotisserie (600 E. Hennepin Av., Minneapolis, brasa.us) at 777 Grand Av. in St. Paul. The space, a former pizzeria, is twice the size of the original Brasa, and the extra room means that Roberts is planning additions to the menu: a daily soup ("something big and generous, a meal in itself," he said), a daily special beyond the kitchen's rotisserie pork-chicken-beef format ("maybe a smoked lamb sausage, or fried chicken," he said) and house-made sodas. Brasa fans who have patiently waited for a table will be relieved to hear that Roberts is also planning a reservations-only communal dining table for large groups, "for ordering a whole pork shoulder or a leg of lamb or a small goat," he said.
After the restaurant opens in May, will Roberts start eyeing a third location? "Ah, no," he said with a laugh. "I need to figure this one out first. I don't have anything in the works, but who knows?"

Pairing off
Takeout is poised to take off -- at least in the western 'burbs -- when Pairings Food and Wine Market (6001 Shady Oak Rd., Minnetonka) opens in May. Co-owners Holly Damiani and Mark Peregory are combining a dine-in/takeout concept with a retail wine and beer shop. "We'll have 45 feet of deli case space and entrees made daily on the premises," said Damiani. "It will be one-stop shopping for breakfast, lunch, dinner, whether you eat it there or take it home."
The restaurant's fare will be designed to match the shop's beer and wine, which will be available to diners without a corkage fee and sold at retail price. Michael Boughten, formerly of the Minneapolis Grand Hotel, will be running the kitchen. If Pairings sounds like a multi-unit chain in the making, well, that's the plan. Damiani and Peregory are already developing a second location, at France and Excelsior in St. Louis Park, set to break ground in the fall. Brunch comes back
After a too-long absence, brunch is returning to the 128 Cafe (128 N. Cleveland Av., St. Paul, http://www.128cafe.net/) starting on Sunday, with roasted chicken and wild rice-stuffed crêpes, a daily omelet and a polenta porridge.

Is the party over in Dubai?

David Shea and I just returned from UAE (primarily Dubai). Part fact finding, part new business, we spent a week on the ground meeting with developers, business owners and contacts in food & beverage and retail. Dubai has been looming as an opportunity for all of us in consumer based businesses. Yet, after 5-10 years of a monumental growth spurt, many are wondering what's next.

It has slowed down immensely, especially in land development. A year ago, construction work was frantic as everyone was fighting to introduce new projects. It went from an urgent 24/7 climate into today's thoughtful decision making, and much slower overall construction. Dubai is still a sea of tower crains, yet the construction sites have little motion. One major developer described at least an 8 -12 month delay on major active projects.

And, retail sales and numbers are suffering right now, much like the rest of the world. Dubai Mall, the newest large scale retail project, is mostly hoarding walls with banners advertising "new store coming soon." The major malls were not busy, even during the Dubai shopping festival. Hotel occupancy rates that were once around 80-90%, are falling to 50-60%. But, the bars and restaurants, which include every cuisine in the world, remained relatively busy.

The consumer market in Dubai is hard to define. There still appears to be a lot of money being spent with high costs in everything from food and beverage to entertainment and retail products. But, there seems to be an odd relationship with brands. They love the name designers and products, but it's not unconditional love. The high end retail stores (Gucci, Versace, Dolce, Armani) were ghost towns, yet everyone was driving BMW's, carrying Chanel and wearing Rolex. The restaurants with brand names or high end celebrity chefs were touch and go.…some are doing quite well, others are suffering. The Buddha Bar (a European brand/chain) in the Grovesnor Hotel had a wait for a table at 2:00 a.m., but Nobu in the new Atlantis project on the Palm was easy to get in to.

The Opportunity

There is a great opportunity that exists for the right consumer offering, and there are definitely holes in market to be filled. When the major land development ends, which is happening now, interiors and consumer based opportunities begin. But, it's not a slam dunk to just take a US based brand or name and roll it out. It's not a case where just a name or brand alone will bring them in. The market is a mix of Middle Easterners, either from UAE (oil and gas or royal descent) or other countries like Iran and Saudi running a business in Dubai. It's European and Asian business people. It's tourists from all walks of life from all over the world. It's the casual and money conscious next to the high end spenders, many times staying side by side in the same hotel.

We found that Dubai is not considered home for most (less than 1.5 million people in this city that resembles Hong Kong's skyline), rather it's more of a business weigh station to go in, make money and go home. Overall, that makes for a fun challenge ahead in Dubai to find the right consumer offerings and opportunities to meet the current needs.

Tanya Spaulding

Shea-designed food and wine market begins construction next week

Holly Damiani and Mark Peregory are working with Shea on a new retail concept called Pairings Food & Wine Market. In January, they signed a lease for a space in the Minnetonka Crossings shopping center in Minnetonka, MN. Pairings will feature a high end market, cafe and full service wine and liquor shop. The concept will focus on pairing wines, beers and spirits with made-from-scratch meals that promote a back-to-basics food program. Shea has been working on the design of the 6,500 SF space since August. Because of state law, the wine, beer and spirits component is required to have a separate entrance from the market portion, but the two spaces will be operated by one management team as complementary sides of the same business. Staff will be trained to assist guests in both environments, recommending dishes from the café that complement customers’ beverage purchases, and recommending the perfect wine or beer pairing for their food selections. Customers can choose to enjoy their meals in a comfortable dining area or they can have the freshly prepared meals packaged to take home.

A striking glass wine vault at the entrance visually unites the two environments. The design of the space combines clean, contemporary lines with iconic traditional elements. Warm earth tones include red and gold plaster and exposed brick walls which are enhanced with custom iron lighting fixtures and antique European furniture. Vintage wine-making equipment and other unique found objects help to promote a warm atmosphere that is a celebration of food and wine. Shea is responsible for all interior design components, including design of all graphics, signage and menus used throughout the space. Damiani and Peregory are currently finalizing design details and construction documents with Shea. Zeman Construction Company will begin construction on the project next week and Pairings Food & Wine Market is projected to open this spring.

Shea helps McKee take center stage at Guthrie

Shea has partnered with Tim McKee, executive chef and operating partner of La Belle Vie, Solera, Smalley's Caribbean Barbecue and Barrio Tequila Bar, on the design of all four of his restaurant concepts. We have just been selected to join him on his latest venture: a rebranding of the Cue restaurant in the Guthrie Theater. We will be working with McKee and Culinaire, a Dallas-based food service and restaurant operator, to define the new concept and redevelop the space as needed. Read the following article from the Star Tribune to learn more...

McKee taking center stage at Guthrie
By Rick Nelson, Star Tribune
Last update: January 22, 2009 - 7:25 AM

Big changes are on the horizon for the Guthrie Theater's dining venues. The theater's current food-and-drink operator, Bon Appetit, is bowing out and is being replaced by Culinaire, a Dallas-based food service and restaurant operator. Culinaire has recruited Tim McKee, chef/co-owner of La Belle Vie, Solera and Barrio in Minneapolis and Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque and Pirate Bar in Stillwater, to add the theater's glamorous ground-floor restaurant, currently known as Cue, to his stable.

"We thought that partnering with a local celebrity chef would appeal to the theatrical nature of the Guthrie and give us the chef-driven cuisine that we think is important," said David Wood, Culinaire's senior vice president of sales and marketing. "We started doing research and, if you Google 'chef' and 'Minneapolis,' you can see that Tim has definitely made a name for himself. We didn't even interview anyone else."

The partnership's plans are ambitious. "Tim is going to create a whole new destination restaurant inside that ground-floor space," said Wood. "[Bon Appetit has] done a great job capturing the pre-theater crowd. With Tim, the restaurant will continue to rock and roll after 8 p.m. and have a life of its own without the Guthrie."

The name Cue -- never a favorite of mine, I've got to say -- is disappearing, and McKee will announce the restaurant's new name -- and his culinary plans -- in a few weeks. The clean-sweep modifications aren't limited to the menu. Wood described the restaurant's planned physical changes as "cosmetic but significant," with a goal of making the vast room more inviting. "The bones are stunning, so it's a shame to trash it just for the sake of change," he said. "We want to subdivide it visually, so whether there are 50 or 150 or 250 people it will feel like a vibrant restaurant."

Culinaire, which has managed the dining operations at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas for 14 years, also plans to expand the restaurant's riverfront and sidewalk presence during warm-weather months. The company also intends to overhaul the theater's fifth-floor dining venues, possibly adding a buffet service. The changes will take place in April, with Cue shutting down for a few weeks to make the necessary alterations.

Despite recession, many restaurants opening new units

Despite the recession, many of Shea's clients opened new restaurants just prior to the holiday season, both locally and in various markets throughout the nation. While 2009 will prove to be an especially challenging year for food service operators, many of these concepts are exceeding expectations.
Locally, Santorini relocated to a new site at 13000 Technology Drive in Eden Prairie. The Nicklow family moved the popular Mediterranean-inspired concept from its longtime home in St. Louis Park to make way for a new hotel development. Shea worked with the Nicklows on design of the 9,700 SF building left vacant after the closing of Canyon Grille in the spring. The new location includes a new bar, large dining room with two fireplaces, private dining areas, a stage area for live entertainment and a large outdoor deck. Since the grand opening in November, revenues have been surpassing projections.

Macy's has been working with Shea on a variety of projects highlighting its “Culinary Council,” a consortium of national celebrity chefs including Wolfgang Puck, Cat Cora, Rick Bayless, Marcus Samuelsson and others. The latest collaboration is an in-store fast casual restaurant concept called Signature Kitchen that features a grouping of smaller concepts showcasing the individual chefs’ personal menus and products. Shea designed a prototype with three adjoined units united by Macy's signature look, including quality finishes, fabrics and lighting. Each chef then has a unique brand within the Signature Kitchen environment and each uses customized materials, graphics and signage. The first Signature Kitchen concept was unveiled in South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California, in December. It features CCQ by Cat Cora, La Brea Bakery by Nancy Silverton and Marc Burger by Marcus Samuelsson. Macy’s is planning to implement the Signature Kitchen concept throughout the country, featuring varying chef concepts in each location.

Shea worked with Macy’s and another of their Culinary Council members, Todd English, on Figs, a 3,000 SF full service restaurant in the Macy’s store at The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The restaurant features the cuisine of the well-known celebrity chef and the décor has a rustic, Mediterranean appeal. The restaurant opened in November.

Shea helped to develop Brimstone, a brand new restaurant concept in Pembroke Pines, Florida. The 11,000 SF upscale casual restaurant offers contemporary American fare including steaks cooked in a 1600-degree broiler, woodfire grilled fresh seafood, gourmet pizza, sushi and salads. The concept was built around “fire and energy” and the design of the grand freestanding building was influenced by Prairie-style architecture using wood, stone and custom lighting. Brimstone opened in Florida in late 2008.

Shea worked with California Pizza Kitchen on their latest location at the Natick Collection mall in Natick, MA. It opened in December.

Shea has worked on over 40 locations for long-term client, Morton’s – The Steakhouse, and recently completed design on stores in Brooklyn, NY, and Sacramento, CA. Both stores opened in November.

Shea worked with The Palm Restaurant on the opening of a new Tribeca location in New York City, NY. This is the fourth NYC restaurant for The Palm, and the outpost is located in a luxury condominium building at 200 Chambers Street. It opened to the public on November 21.

Santorini finds new home with Shea's help

Santorini relocated to a new site at 13000 Technology Drive in Eden Prairie.
The Nicklow family moved the popular Mediterranean-inspired concept from its longtime home in St. Louis Park in order to make way for a new hotel development. Shea worked with the Nicklow’s on design of the 9,700 SF building left vacant after the closing of Canyon Grille in the spring. The new location includes a new bar, large dining room with two fireplaces, private dining areas, a stage area for live entertainment and a large outdoor deck. Since the grand opening in November, revenues have been surpassing projections.

Shea works to bring Barrio East

from Star Tribune 1/15/09

If all goes as planned, Barrio (barriotequila.com) will be landing in St. Paul's Lowertown this year. "We're pretty far along with it," said co-owner Josh Thoma. "On a confidence scale, I'd give it a 95 percent." Thoma and business partner Tim McKee (the team behind La Belle Vie and Solera in Minneapolis and Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque and Pirate Bar in Stillwater) are planning to offer the same lengthy tequila program, the same Mexican small plates and the same late-night hours as their wildly popular Barrio in downtown Minneapolis. Even the size will be similar. "It might be slightly larger [than the Minneapolis Barrio]," said Thoma. "Our goal is to keep the same kind of intimacy and compression."

Thoma and McKee are eyeing a location next door to the new Bulldog Lowertown (thebulldoglower town.com) at 6th and Wacouta Sts., opposite Mears Park, with hopes of opening in June. Thoma said they're psyched about a downtown St. Paul move. "All we had to do was look at the demographics of the Bulldog," he said. "There are people there from Woodbury and Stillwater and White Bear Lake who are coming there instead of driving all the way to downtown Minneapolis."