Food Biz: Five Tips for Taking Over A Restaurant

Food Biz: Five Tips for Taking Over A Restaurant

Information, advice, and everything an entrepreneur needs to know about the food business

Article written by Marcia Wade Talbert.

• Posted in B.E. Exclusives, BE Next, Small Business on Friday, September 24, 2010, 20:32
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Lawrence Page reopened the famed Pink Tea Cup in Greenwich Village.

Small businesses have been taking a beating over the last few years do to the economy and famous soul food restaurants are no exceptions. The Pink Tea Cup has been a legendary eating establishment in New York’s Greenwich Village neighborhood for over 56 years. But last year, it was on the verge of closing forever until filmmaker Lawrence Page stepped in and bought the rights to the name and reopened the famed restaurant in a new location. With previous experience running several French bistro’s in Manhattan, Page knew that in order to make the restaurant successful again he would have to continue to fulfill the desires of the older patrons (who started a web campaign to save the establishment) but add new attractions to arouse the interest of new customers.

If you take over an existing restaurant or food business you can end up finding yourself back in financial trouble if you don’t learn to find a balance between the new and the old ways, says Page, who also owns The Actors Playhouse next door. For Food Biz this week here are his five tips to keep your oven hot and your customers satisfied.

Communicate the change in ownership to old customers. When you buy a brand that has been around for a long time, show your long time customers that you appreciate their business by giving them customer appreciation discounts. Get to know them and reestablish yourself as the new owner. When people are used to brands they are not used to change. Let them know that their favorite staples will remain on the menu. Assure them that you are going to carry on the brand just as good as it was before, if not better.

Add some new staples. When if comes to change you have to be very careful with established restaurant brands. Keep on the old staples, but make sure that the quality of the food is upgraded to current standards. “Companies come out with better quality and healthier products,” says Page. Familiarize yourself with food events, new taste profiles, quality control and other things that will make a difference to new and old recipes. Let older customers know about the new changes so they won’t be shocked.

Bump up the restaurants profile. Don’t be afraid to step up your game and compete with new businesses. Do things that have never been done at that restaurant before. Increase advertising and marketing. Play on new strategies in social networking. Use Twitter, Facebook, and geo-location services like Foursquare to find new customers. Think with the new generation in mind. It is a hard pill to swallow to change something that has been around awhile, but if you don’t you could be out of business fast, says Page.

Consider hiring new staff. Analyze the current staff and determine if they have what it takes to move forward with your changes. You’ll probably have to get rid of a lot of staff. Put them to work to see what they can do. Keep the ones that are willing to listen to change and who are loyal to your vision of the company and not the previous owner’s vision. Make sure to hire staff who do not always do things by the book and who know how to be flexible through challenges. For example, if your credit card reader goes down, instead of sending customers away, the manager should offer them the option to leave their credit information behind to be charged once the system is back up.

Be hands on. When you buy a well known brand make sure the brand goes the exact way that you want it to go. A lot of restaurants with famous owners end up closing because they put their money behind it and the name in front of it, but they don’t take a hands on approach to making sure their dictates are followed.

The Pink Tea Cup

Soul food lovers mourned earlier this year when The Pink Teacup closed the doors to its West Village location. For 50 years, the beloved restaurant doled out substantial stick-to-your-ribs soul food to those lucky enough to snag a table at the tiny joint. Even a few celebs – from Mick Jagger to Whoopi Goldberg – have been spotted there. So, there was a collective sigh when area dwellers learned of its closing. A group of people banded together to try and save the Teacup. A Facebook page was devoted to bringing it back to life. Yet, it was long-time customer Lawrence Page (also owns Actors Playhouse) who surfaced to revive the house.

And here it is, albeit in a new location. Firmly planted at 88 7th Ave S., just north of Bleecker, owner Page took over operations and has kept the classic Pink Tea Cup characteristics intact, with a few ad hoc changes. What this means is the new Teacup, much like the original, is ignoring every known food, décor and bar fad, to offer solid, traditional soul food in one of the warmest, friendliest neighborhood locales in the Village. Right off the bat, the new spot is larger – clocking in at 2,000 square foot, with a capacity of 112 – so perhaps we won’t have to wait 2 hours for a table like we did at the first one.

Also, this location has a full-service bar, outdoor seating and a stage where small-scale neo-classic soul and jazz concerts will be dished out. With the full bar comes a whole new spin on Teacup’s cocktail and wine roster. With the help of a wine sommelier and mixologist Eric Gonzales, the wine card has been upped quite substantially. After some wine consulting, they’ve introduced some bottles of cognacs and some under-the-radar Cabernets.

Oh. And, yes, there’s food. The original recipes are still strung up in the kitchen for the chef to follow, but, again, Page has integrated a few changes here as well. To offer more of a vegetarian option, Teacup has introduced new dishes like the seaweed salad. Also, there has been a bit of an effort to make the food – while still home-style southern – a tad healthier. The chicken has always been fried (and it still will be), but a few baked chicken options are now on the card. Page also took the house’s culinary offerings to the next level of southern food, introducing plates like sweet potato waffles, shrimp and grits, and other shrimp-derived plates. But fear not; the classic brunch and fried chicken are still on offer, just done a bit healthier, fresher, and more fitting to the southern style.

Now, when you come to visit, you won’t have to wait in a long line up to get in. But can lightning strike the same spot twice? Thus far, it’s looking good.

West Village, NYC

martiniboys.com – June 14,2010
http://www.martiniboys.com/NYC/restaurants-in-NYC/The%20Pink%20Tea%20Cup-4602.html

Pink Tea Cup’s New Village Digs

Pink Tea Cup’s New Village Digs

Pink Tea Cup

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

This new incarnation of Village soul food institution Pink Tea Cup – now under different ownership and relocated to roomier digs on the Seventh Avenue strip – is less campy, more upscale and sports a full bar, performance space and sidewalk patio, the latter outfitted with granny-pastel arm chairs evoking some of the old place’s kitsch; the Southern menu includes old favorites plus some additions, and the prices are more up to date too – luckily it now takes plastic.

88 Seventh St. S.; 212-255-2124
http://blog.zagat.com/pink-tea-cups-new-digs

ZAGATBUZZ New York Edition

What to Eat at the New Pink Tea Cup, Now Serving Bourbon Buffalo Wings

Photo: Courtesy of the Pink Tea Cup

Speaking of filament bulbs, the Pink Tea Cup was kind enough to send some shots from its reopening last night, and they’re in full effect! (You may have also noticed them back when we gave you a sneak peek of the new digs.) The Famous Pink Tea Cup, as it’s now dubbed, will be serving a preview dinner menu (which you can see below) until its grand reopening (for breakfast, lunch, and dinner) on June 14. Owner Lawrence Page is touting the fact that he has hired an “all-female led kitchen” in sous-chef Lander Glover, who was a cook at the original location for fifteen years, and executive chef Angela Groover, an events caterer and private chef who has a pretty great name for the chef of a live music venue. Here’s Groover’s limited preview menu. Cocktails ($10 to $12) are also being served.

Photo: Courtesy of the Pink Tea Cup

APPETIZERS
Bourbon Buffalo Wings – $10
Soul Roll – $10
Pineapple Honey Glazed Salmon Salad – $12
Seaweed/ Tofu Salad – $10

ENTREES
(comes with a choice of two sides except **)
Meatloaf – $18.50
● Plain
● Smothered

CHICKEN & WAFFLES **
● Plain – $18
● Sweet Potato – $21

Pork Chops – $20
● Smothered
● Fried

Fried Chicken – $23
● Smothered
● Fried

FISH N GRITS (Choice of Fish all served with Grits)**
● CATFISH – $20
● SALMON CROQUETTES – $16.50
● SHRIMP – $22
● WHITING – $17.50

SIDES – $8
Yellow Rice
Black Eye Peas
Collard Greens
Mashed Potatoes
Grits

A LA CARTE
Smothered Fries – $7
Yams – $8
Mac-n-Cheese – $8

DESSERTS
Red Velvet Cake – $6
Carrot Cake – $6
A la Mode – $8

The Pink Tea Cup, 88 Seventh Ave. S., nr. Bleecker St.; 212-255-2124

The Pink Tea Cup will Re-Open on June 2

Six months after the closure of the Grove Street location it had occupied for more than five decades, the Pink Tea Cup will re-open around the corner on Seventh Avenue South.

Back in January, Lawrence Page, proprietor of the Actors’ Playhouse, told our colleagues at Runnin’ Scared that he had rustled up $400,000 to buy the Pink Tea Cup “brand” and would re-open the soul food restaurant somewhere in the West Village, possibly by the end of February.

According to a press release he sent to Eater, Page will re-open the business on June 2 at 88 Seventh Avenue South. The menu will feature the same dishes from the previous location, as well as new ones like herb-crusted rack of lamb and crispy fried duck with pecan sauce. There will also be a full cocktail menu and a stage for performances, as well as extended hours; the 112-seat restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week.

The Pink Tea Cup Will Reopen in New Location on June 2

According to reps for the restaurant, the new version of the famed Village restaurant The Pink Tea Cup will reopen on June 2. Back in January, when the 55 year-old Grove Street institution was forced to close after a drop off in business, neighborhood savior Lawrence Page bought the rights to the name from the original owner and set out to open the Tea Cup in a new location. As reported back in March that new home is around the corner on 88 7th Avenue South.

When she reopens next month, Pink Tea Cup 2.0 will feature a full bar complete with a “cocktail specialist”, a stage for live performances, new menu items (Page told Eater it would be “comfort food with a gourmet twist”), and extended hours. And to assuage regulars, PR reps add that founder Charles Raye gave Page his cookbook so that “the original Pink Tea taste of 55 years remains the same.” To see the full run down of the planned menu items, please read the full release below:

Fried duck, shrimp and grits. >>

THE PINK TEA CUP RESTAURANT GIVES NEW YORK CITY’S GREENWICH VILLAGE ITS SOUL AGAIN with OFFICIAL REOPENING JUNE 2, 2010(NEW YORK, NY) May 13, 2010…New York City is “getting its soul back” this summer in the heart of the West Village. After overwhelming anticipation by foodies everywhere, it was announced today that beginning June 2, 2010, The Pink Tea Cup restaurant (88 Seventh Avenue South btwn: Grove Street and Bleecker Street), one of New York City’s oldest southern culinary institutions, will officially reopen its doors to entice the palates and satisfy the appetites of foodies, fans, dignitaries and travelers alike once again and more than ever before with its soulful American southern cuisine.

Together with a larger, sleek new venue around the corner from its former location (including a full bar and live performance space) and a talented team comprised of new and original members of the Pink Tea Cup, independent filmmaker, theater proprietor, restaurateur and new owner Lawrence Page is taking the legendary restaurant to enhanced, contemporary heights while carrying on the torch of tradition, culinary excellence and heart-warming service that the soulful eatery has become known for over the past 55 years.
“A lot of work was put into the building of the original Pink Tea Cup and the reputation it has today,” says former owner and co-founder Charles Raye who sold The Pink Tea Cup to Mr. Page. “I’m glad that out of many, Lawrence Page will now be the one carrying on the legacy built by founder Mary Raye and myself.” I am happy that he [Page] is bringing the restaurant back to its devoted customers and to a new generation of patrons.”
“I’m thrilled to reopen the Pink Tea Cup,” says Mr. Page. “With a larger location, new venue features, an enticing menu including original and new dishes that diners are sure to fall in love with and staying open until 5am for those after hours foodies the way it was back in the day, I look more than forward to serving the New York community and continuing the delicious legacy of the Pink Tea Cup.”

Page is maintaining the original signature dishes of the Pink Tea Cup while adding contemporary southern dishes to the menu as well. Guests will fully enjoy contemporary additions including Herb-crusted rack of lamb with roasted shallot au jus served with lobster mashed potatoes; Crispy fried duck drizzled w/ pecan sauce served with collard greens and sweet potatoes; Grilled pork chops stuffed with an apple, sausage and spinach cornbread stuffing drizzled with Apple brandy sauce; Blackened BBQ Salmon over Garlic Mashed potatoes with sautéed spinach and seasoned seared Shrimp, among other dishes.

Diners will delight in the seduction of their taste buds by the down-home spice and authentic flavor of traditional southern favorites such as Fried Chicken and Homemade Waffles; BBQ Shrimp-N-Signature House grits; Slow grilled barbecued ribs cooked with a delectable BBQ sauce served with potato salad and collard greens; Smothered Pork Chops served with Yellow Rice, Black Eye Peas and Cabbage; Tomato and corn salad topped with fried okra; Jumbo shrimp stuffed with crab meat and wrapped in bacon over grits infused with crumbled bacon; and Fried Chicken with baked macaroni and cheese and collard greens.
Packing a flavorful punch in every bite, The Pink Tea Cup’s lunch menu includes a wide variety of juicy burgers, sandwiches, entrees and fresh tasty salads including “B-Mo Style” crab cakes; Fried catfish Po’ Boys served with “Fries-N-Slaw”; Turkey Meatloaf with smothered onions and garlic mashed potatoes; “95 South” chopped BBQ sandwich on toasted cornbread and Spinach and grilled salmon salad, among other selections.
The vibrant breakfast menu offers all-time favorites including Salmon Croquettes, Sirloin Steak, or Fried Fish with a choice of Grits,Home fries and Eggs; Fried Chicken and Butter Pecan Waffles with homemade Pecan syrup; Southern Buttermilk French toast; Miss Daisy’s poached eggs on a warm biscuit with honey peppered ham topped with BBQ Hollandaise sauce; a selection of seasonal fruit; yogurt w/ granola and fresh berries and down-home side offerings such as Turkey Bacon, Sage Sausage, Crispy Chitterlings, Pork Bacon, fluffy pancakes of several varieties including its new sweet potato pancake.
In addition to The Pink Tea Cup’s signature sweet tea previously served at the restaurant, a wide selection of wine, specialty beer, signature cocktails and other alcoholic beverages will now be available from its full-service bar featuring the famous mixologist Eric Gonzales as bar manager and cocktail specialist. Those visiting the bar for a great cocktail and good company will be delighted this season with its fresh summer drinks.
Located in a strikingly larger venue accommodating 112 people, the 2,000 square foot space features a full service bar and a stage where guests will enjoy an ongoing variety of live performances. With inviting earth tones, exposed brick and dark mahogany tables complemented with comfortable seating, unique lighting and new, sleek plating and flatware, the Pink Tea Cup’s new location provides a soulfully-sophisticated and welcoming experience to guests.

The Pink Tea Cup will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week:

Monday – Wednesday 9:00 AM – 2:00 AM

Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 AM

Sunday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 AM

Brunch: Saturday, Sunday 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

For more information on the Pink Tea Cup Restaurant please visit: www.thepinkteacuprestaurant.com

The Pink Tea Cup Will Reopen June 2

The new location of Pink Tea Cup on 88 Seventh Ave. (DNAinfo/Nicole Breskin)

By Nicole Breskin

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

GREENWICH VILLAGE — The Village is set to get its soul back this summer with the much-anticipated return of the Pink Tea Cup.

The date has been set for June 2 for the 55-year-old soul food restaurant — once frequented by celebrities Bill Cosby, Susan Sarandon and Whoopi Goldberg — to reopen with new management at 88 Seventh Ave. after its old location was shuttered in December.

“A lot of work was put into the building of the original Pink Tea Cup and the reputation it has today,” said former owner and co-founder Charles Raye, who sold the restaurant to filmmaker Laurence Page.

“I am happy that he is bringing the restaurant back to its devoted customers and to a new generation of patrons.”

Page is bringing a new menu and cocktails to the restaurant. He’s also hoping for a later closing hour.

“With a larger location, new venue features, an enticing menu including original and new dishes, and staying open until 5am for those after hours foodies the way it was back in the day, I look more than forward to serving the New York community and continuing the delicious legacy of the Pink Tea Cup,” Page said.

New dishes will include herb-crusted rack of lamb with lobster mashed potatoes, crispy fried duck drizzled with pecan sauce served, grilled pork chops stuffed with an apple, blackened barbeque salmon with sautéed spinach and seasoned seared shrimp.

Links

• Ressurected Pink Tea Cup Will Have Bar and Live Music

By Nicole Breskin, DNAinfo.com
Follow Nicole on Twitter @nicolebreskin

Read more: http://dnainfo.com/20100513/manhattan/pink-tea-cup-will-reopen-june-2#ixzz0tKpFFa2V

The Pink Tea Cup to Reopen

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May 13, 2010, 8:23 am <!– — Updated: 8:59 am –>

Pink Tea Cup Is Set to Reopen in New Location, With Later Hours

By NICK FOX

The Pink Tea Cup, the West Village soul food institution that closed in January after 55 years in business on Grove Street, will reopen around the corner on June 2, the new owners say.

The new location, at 88 Seventh Avenue South, will have dishes from the old Pink Tea Cup as well as more contemporary ones, a full bar and a stage for performances. It will also be serving customers much later and longer. It will open at 9 a.m. each day and close at 2 a.m. Monday to Wednesday, 5 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 4 a.m. on Sundays. Their news release doesn’t name a chef, but does say that Eric Gonzales will be at the bar.

Lawrence Page bought the restaurant’s name shortly after it closed. Customers had tried to keep it in its old spot after a rent increase had driven the old owners out.