CK Fall 18

FALL 2018www.ccr-mag.com

Kitchens

Akira Bryson, director of design and development, The Meatball Shop

‘What about meatballs?’

How Michael Chernow’s question transformed into one of fast casual’s hottest chains

A special supplement to:

Also Inside:

Evviva Cucina: The art of designing a brand experience

Cover story photography by Saul Stoogenke/sjsFoto

‘What about meatballs?’

How Michael Chernow’s question transformed into one of fast casual’s hottest chains

By Michael J. Pallerino

about meatballs?” It was a honest question. When Michael Chernow approached

“What

his old friend about opening a restaurant together, he mused about his ritual of eating a bowl of tomato sauce with meatballs at Frank Restaurant in New York City's East Village.

But was it possible? Could they open a restaurant solely focused on meatballs. It was worth a shot. So Chernow and Daniel Holzman sunk their life savings—$20,000 each—into the idea. Once they formulated a business plan, they passed it out among the regulars at Frank's. Ninety percent of them wrote a check. On Feb. 9, 2010, Chernow and Holzman opened The Meatball Shop on the Lower East Side. The restaurant offers a variety of meatballs, seasonal veggie dishes, ice cream sandwiches and hand-crafted cocktails.

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The concept took off, with five more locations opening in Williamsburg, the West Village, Chelsea, the Upper East Side and Hell's Kitchen in quick succession. Chernow, who also runs Seamore's restaurant in NYC, is also co-author of “The Meatball Shop Cookbook.” He has also appeared in countless broadcast segments, including ABC’s “Good Morning America,” NBC’s “TODAY Show” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” as well as in an array of widely reaching local and national publications such as The New York Times, Food & Wine, Saveur, People, Food Network Magazine and GQ.

Commercial Kitchens sat down with Akira Bryson, director of design and development, to get his take on where The Meatball Shop brand is heading—and why it should be on your to-do list.

In almost every culture you find a different type of meatball. This universal appreciation for the meatball allows us to target a wide a range of consumers from young millennials to new families to empty nesters.

Give us a snapshot of The Meatball Shop brand?

The Meatball Shop first opened its doors on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 2010, and has since opened five additional locations in in Williamsburg, the West Village, Chelsea, the Upper East Side and Hell's Kitchen. Founded by childhood best friends Chef Daniel Holzman and restaurateur Michael Chernow, The Meatball Shop is made of all things good, much like the meatball itself.

The Meatball Shop mashes a high-energy environment, fun-loving staff and family-friendly atmosphere with its iconic mix-and-match menu. They offer meatballs with a mix and match menu utilizing sustainable and natural ingredients whenever possible. But The Meatball Shop serves way more than just meatballs. Highlights from their hit menu include seasonal veggies, market-driven salads, sandwiches, handmade ice cream sandwiches, craft cocktails and an approachable wine program.

What type of consumer are you targeting?

Everyone loves meatballs. In almost every culture you find a different type of meatball. This universal appreciation for the meatball allows us to target a wide a range of consumers from young millennials to new families to empty nesters. The Meatball Shop offers something for everyone and can be a place for a special celebration or a casual weeknight hang. And because there is a wide range of offerings on the menu, there is no veto vote in a big group. Want to eat something hearty? We have that. Someone is a vegan? We have vegan balls. We have something for every guest.

How does your design cater to what today's consumers are looking for?

There are a number of ways our design is in line with what consumers are looking for. Our guests like to have choices ranging from calling for takeout, picking up food, sitting for a quick meal or sitting down with friends for a long social meal. The Meatball Shop is designed to make all of these options possible. It's clear when you walk through any of our spaces which area is for what type of experience.

Walk us through how and why it designed the way it is?

Originally the founders wanted The Meatball Shop to feel warm and accessible to everyone, like a mix between your dream Brooklyn apartment and your grandmas living room. They also wanted to celebrate the kitchen and not hide what goes on in the heart of any restaurant.

We have an open kitchen plan with a cozy yet social feel in the main dining area. The communal table is also a very key part of our shops because that’s what The Meatball Shop is all about—a communal place for everyone to share a great meal in. In our newer shops, we’ve definitely played more with a cleaner design, but each location fits perfectly in the neighborhood in which it resides.

Take us through your construction and design strategy.

Restaurants are interesting, as the most difficult and detailed areas are the kitchen

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and the bar. So our design starts with the kitchen. We try to open up the kitchen and if the space allows we give line of site to the kitchen from the front entrance. The bar location is also important as it is the welcoming arm that also allows us to separate our dining room into different zones.

From there, we look at the finishes to try to give it The Meatball Shop look and feel. Once the layout is set, we immediately reach out to our equipment vendors (kitchen and bar). We do a deep dive into the detailed layout and design of each piece of equipment. After that, it goes to our architects and engineers for construction drawings. There is a lot that we take on regarding owner furnished items. We typically order kitchen and bar equipment, tiles, light fixtures and millwork.

We are onsite more than most owners, but with the speed of construction nowadays it is necessary. We work closely with the GC during the construction process, as there are always onsite issues or changes that must be made.

Give us a rundown of the market's layout.

This is both a scary and exciting time to be in the restaurant business. We are at an interesting crossroads with customer culture. Restaurants now have to deliver and have take out. The food must come out quickly and it has to be of a high quality. You are hearing terms like fine-casual and fast casual. Ultimately, these are responses to the fact that convenience has really become a large factor in customer decisions. Today's customers want accessible foods at reasonable prices at a high quality. This is causing a huge shift in restaurant offerings in order to compete.

Today’s customers want accessible foods at reasonable prices at a high quality. This is causing a huge shift in restaurant offerings in order to compete.

What's the biggest issue today related to the construction side of the business?

With technology, everything is moving far faster than the permitting agencies can keep up with. This creates a bureaucratic pinch point in getting permits. Also with technology, changes happen so fast it is sometimes difficult keep track of changes while in the midst of construction. This can lead to a lot of confusion with the contractors.

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Talk about sustainability. What are you doing?

Consumers are more conservation-minded these days and we look toward sustainable practices in our food and in our design and construction practices. We try to locally source our vendors, food and materials. We use sustainable construction materials whenever possible and practical, ranging from using LED light fixtures to choices in sustainable wood for our millwork.

What do you see as some of your biggest opportunities moving ahead?

Our current focus is to do a controlled national expansion and to test out the suburban markets without compromising food quality. In the not so distant future we would like to explore opportunities in sports arenas and airports. This is a huge market that is a natural fit for our menu.

Are you optimistic about what you see today in the marketplace?

The market place has really put the restaurant industry on its toes. The classic sit down and dine model seems to be fading and many restaurants are looking at how to place themselves in the fast casual space without locking themselves in. We are uniquely placed in that we fit within the current trends. We are excited about the market, as we are very flexible and can meet market needs with small adjustments to our model.

What is your growth plan? What areas are you targeting?

We are looking at the classic target cities (Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, etc.). What's interesting is our shop has universal appeal and we are confident we will do well across the country. But our focus isn't quick and massive expansion. We are looking at getting a foothold in certain cities and establishing ourselves as a neighborhood fixture and then expanding further in that market.

What trends are you seeing?

Sustainability and convenience (take out or delivery) are a big factor. Transparency in

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your food has been growing for years, but it is almost a requirement now. Restaurants are showing where their food is sourced, ingredients, allergies, etc. Fast casual/fine casual are also changing the dining landscape. The Meatball Shop has always employed with the idea of training its employees for promotion within the company. We have constant enrichment classes for employees and many other restaurants are also "investing" from within.

Our current focus is to do a controlled national expansion and to test out the suburban markets without compromising food quality.

What is the secret to creating a “must visit” restaurant environment in today's competitive landscape?

Our goal, first and foremost, is to be a great place to eat and socialize where you can get fantastic food for a reasonable price. This sounds simple, but for us, it meant making really good food without taking ourselves too seriously. Good food doesn't necessary mean an exclusive dining experience. The best food moments usually are fond memories of a dish at home or a relative's house.

Our menu is reflective of that type of comfort food. Our founders were already ahead of the curve when coming up with The Meatball

Shop concept. When we opened, we shifted from being the trendy new kid on the block to being a consistent and cool brand by keeping our eyes on the original goal.

What is today's consumer looking for?

Today's customer is more demanding as there is a lot of food "knowledge" via the different media outlets. As high quality dining has become more accessible, customers are demanding better food for lower prices. Dining has become a different type of experience than the baby boomers and the older Gen Xers grew up with. Everything needs to be Instagram-able.

What's the biggest item on your to-do list right now?

Opening our new D.C. location.

Describe a typical day.

If I am not in the middle of a construction project, I am doing the rounds at our shops. I triage immediate needs and set up the necessary repair and maintenance techs to look at the shops. I set up the afternoons to look at real estate in other markets and do space panning on new potential locations.

Tell us what makes The Meatball Shop so unique?

Imagine having a home with an amazing living room connected to a commercial kitchen. You also have a great bar with a live in bartender. Grandmas in the kitchen making one of her best dishes and all of your friends are over for dinner. This is the feel we try to have at The Meatball Shop. CK

One-on-One with...

» Akira Bryson

Director of design and development, The Meatball Shop

What’s the most rewarding part of your job? Opening a shop. We are very hands on, so seeing the fruits of your labor is incredibly rewarding.

What’s the best thing a client ever said to you? “Good job.” Seriously, one of my clients and I did not see eye to eye and had an decent sized disagreement. He was a very impulsive person and I expected the contract to be terminated. But he backed off and told me he respected my integrity, and he knew I was reacting in his best interest.

What was the best advice you ever received? One of my project administrators years ago told me: “Today’s miracle is tomorrow’s standard.” Every

organization has an employee who that when things go awry, he/she is able to make miracles happen. Sometimes, it is easy to take that for granted. Over time, you’re asking too much of the employee/vendor. This is a reminder for me when dealing with my “go-to” contractors and team.

Name the three strongest traits any leader should have and why. The ability to listen, the ability to push his team, and the ability to know when he/she is pushing too far.

How do you like to spend your down time? I actually really love to spend time with my family and I cook to decompress.

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