Staying Power: How to get it and keep it

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By Eileen Keighley

Running a restaurant is challenging. Add seasonality and this increases tenfold. As summer season approaches, three Laguna entrepreneurs discuss whether to distinguish between visitors and locals and their business approach.

Azmin Ghahreman, chef owner of Sapphire restaurant.
Azmin Ghahreman, chef owner of Sapphire restaurant.

Chef Azmin Ghahreman opened Sapphire Laguna, Sapphire Pantry and Sapphire Catering 10 years go. His tip? Adaptation and innovation.

When Sapphire and the Pantry first opened their doors, Ghahreman had a vision to create a “one of a kind” food experience that brought the world to Laguna. The innovative concept offered world cuisine long before that was even a label, a bar creating specialty cocktails with global influences, and a pantry selling the best global ingredients outside of Beverly Hills and San Diego.

Innovation remains on Ghahreman’s mind as he considers the next 10 years. “It’s about innovation and excellence in every area from service to training, to the restaurant and undoubtedly the menu.” In season, he adapts the daytime menu to include more breakfast-style items including omelets. There’s also more seating outside the Pantry so people can grab-n-go.

Looking forward, he admits, “I can’t stop. I have to find another way to enhance our repertoire. I did small plates. Then everyone did them. So I introduced spice plates, and so on.” Ghahreman seeks inspiration from his collection of 1,600 cookbooks. He also loves to travel. “I ate in a Burmese restaurant recently and had a fermented tea salad that now we make. We also serve a highly popular tea, which is healthy and good for you.”

What else keeps the restaurant successful? Ghahreman shares, “Know and embrace the local community.” With some customers visiting over three times a day, it’s about everything from knowing customer names to going the extra mile. During a recent tanker leak, local businesses were temporarily closed. A regular appeared with his 3-year-old grandson, sobbing. Later, Ghahreman drove to the boy’s house and invited him back for his favorite pancakes. On a more practical note, he is reworking the patio area to feature more modular seating, allowing more people to sit in the prized area.

Moulin’s chef owner Laurent Vrignaud aims to recreate Parisian café culture in Laguna Beach.
Moulin’s chef owner Laurent Vrignaud aims to recreate Parisian café culture in Laguna Beach.

Laurent Vrignaud, Laguna resident and proprietor of Moulin Forest Avenue, opened last September. His tip? Remain true to your vision.

Moulin caters to the Laguna lifestyle of waking up and going to sleep with the city. Vrignaud’s vision is simple: create Parisian café culture on the streets of Laguna with ingredients, such as imported butter, to French-made tables and chairs. “I want to create an authentic café culture, 15 hours a day, every day of the week,” he said. As a resident, he watched and lived alongside the customers he now attracts. “Many are widely travelled and have experienced this European café-style, of being “close to the street” and, no matter why they are there, chatting with friends, reading a paper, having a welcome pastry after surfing, they enjoy the comings and goings of town.”

After leaving the corporate world, Vrignaud dreamt of setting up a French café and in 2014 opened Moulin Newport. In his second location, the challenges were different. It was almost a 24-hour operation with an early morning shift of bakers making all the breads and patisseries daily. Customers were also different. “Newport customers want to grab-n-go while Laguna is slower. People enjoy the food and culture more.” He believes café-culture in Laguna would never exist as a tourist-only adventure. “I purposely didn’t open during season as I wanted to open to the locals.” The strategy worked. On day one there was a line outside at 5 a.m.

Vrignaud believes authenticity is important and will drive success, “No one will out-Paris us.” This holds true from the décor to the menu. No M ‘n’ Ms on your crêpe, limited styles of coffee. You also won’t be encouraged to log into their wi-fi; it is limited. But customers will have a sense of Parisian streets, where conversation, good coffee and tasty food is abundant. He compares his business to more than just feeding people. “We are like a blue box from Tiffany. The experience is the box and the food, the diamond.”

Lindsay Smith-Rosales, chef owner of Nirvana Grille.
Lindsay Smith-Rosales, chef owner of Nirvana Grille.

Lindsay Smith-Rosales, chef and owner of Nirvana Grille, celebrated nine years in Laguna serving California cuisine. Her tip? Balancing local and seasonal demands with a theatre culture.

A Laguna native, Smith-Rosales grew up in a family that embraced sustainability. The restaurant continues this philosophy using fresh and locally sourced ingredients while being totally accepting of any dietary preferences. Nirvana has a strong locals customer base. “We try to focus on our locals, and while we have a great tourist base, they are consistent and committed to us. They are invested in us doing well and that allows us to continue to grow.”

Since Nirvana is a five-minute walk from Laguna Playhouse and the Festival of Arts’ grounds, the impact of show times can be challenging, she explains. “I’d love to have the shows on a little earlier to take the pressure off service. It would help all the restaurants in town.” To counter the issue, they offer sharing plates for a quicker and more casual meal and encourage locals to come before 5 or after 8 p.m.

Supporting the local community goes further. Every Sunday night, a percentage of revenue goes to local not-for-profits. Locals enjoy a 20 percent discount every Tuesday and even the theater-goers get a 10% discount with a theater ticket. These promotions are important to the restaurant and encourage loyalty. “We often see customers coming in for dinner once a week and then maybe they sit at the bar and have a small plate on another night.”

In addition to offering the best food, Smith Rosales believes the small things deliver success. This starts with a good team and excellent training, “Customers are encouraged to share their dietary preferences, we actively cater for all, so my staff have to be very well trained and knowledgeable.”

With over 90 restaurants along the eight-mile coastline, most restaurants share the same challenges. Luckily for locals and visitors, chef owners also share a love of their industry for great food and personable service.

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