NY CITY A Diverse Brand An Interview with Daniel Boulud, Chef and Owner, The Dinex Group

EDITORS’ NOTE A native of as well. they have to have , , Chef-turned- good character and be cre- Restaurateur Daniel Boulud ative, ambitious, and orga- has won countless awards nized, as well as being good and is now considered one of businessmen. each of my America’s leading culinary executive chefs must himself authorities. He is best known be a mentor for the cooks in as Chef/Owner of his signa- Daniel Boulud (center top) and Chefs (top-left to right): Raphael Haas, Fabrizio Salerni, Dale Mackay, his kitchen. ture restaurant DANIEL on Gregory Stawowy; Bottom – left to right: Chefs Jean François Bruel (DANIEL), Jim Leiken (DBGB Kitchen and Bar), we groom them. Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Damian Sansonetti (Bar Boulud), Laurent Kalkotour (db Bistro Moderene), sometimes we take a young where he has now lived for Gavin Kaysen (Café Boulud) sous-chef, who has talent more than 25 years. Named but who hasn’t yet carried Outstanding Restaurateur of the Year by the James service, quality, and innovation. How do the responsibility of running a business, and Beard Foundation, Boulud fi rst made his fame at Le you maintain that consistency at each of make him the big chef. we support that process Cirque where he charmed the city’s who’s who from your destinations? with our two corporate chefs. so it’s in-house 1987 to 1993 with his refi ned yet soulful cooking. the most important elements are the individ- management coaching the team, communicat- ual teams in each restaurant and our management ing, and trying to motivate them to keep the COMPANY BRIEF The Dinex Group company. this is the aspect of my restaurants a place clean and healthy while performing. (www.danielnyc.com) owns and operates 10 res- guest never sees, but that they certainly experi- How much freedom do you give them? taurants by Daniel Boulud, fi ve in New York – ence. today, we have a very well-structured man- The menus are always changing and there DANIEL, a Relais & Châteaux member; Bar agement company that includes departments for is much innovation. Is it important for you Boulud; db Bistro Moderne; Café Boulud; and, menu planning and recipe development via three to be engaged in that, or do you allow them most recently, DBGB Kitchen and Bar – with corporate chefs, operations, and quality control via the opportunity to create? a second Café Boulud in Palm Beach, Florida, three operations directors, human resources and once you become an executive chef, you in the Brazilian Court Hotel; Maison Boulud in training, wine and beverage, purchasing, facilities have to be able to make decisions spontane- ; ’s db Bistro Moderne and the maintenance, public relations, marketing and com- ously. i encourage my executive chefs to create Relais & Châteaux restaurant, Lumière. His fi rst munications, and, last but not least, fi nance and a daily special, a plat du jour; they have 100 restaurant in the U.K., Bar Boulud, opened in accounting. the management group, now 21 ex- percent authority on that. ’s Mandarin Oriental in May 2010. Two ecutives strong, provides ongoing planning, sup- if they want to put a dish on the à la carte new outposts opening in the year ahead include a port, and guidance to each restaurant in the group. menu for a whole season, i need to approve it db Bistro Moderne for both Miami and . Just as important, we spend a lot of time and make sure we’re making the right decision training and challenging our managers to per- on it. it has to be consistent day in and day out, You now have a range of locations in New form better all the time. and we have to make sure that the supply and York. How do those complement one another? a restaurant is not something you can preparation are even. the diversifi cation of my brand has helped just open and then walk away from. we create As the chef, is it tough to not always be on all counts with customers going upstream something new and then make sure we keep in the kitchen since your time is now being or downstream within the brand. they go from working hard at it. db bistro on 44th street is pulled in many different directions? danieL down to our other restaurants includ- 10 years old, and we are still working as hard yes, but at the same time, i enjoy as ing dbgb, and in a very consistent manner. as we did on the fi rst day. we take nothing much being in London, beijing, singapore, or also, younger customers, who discover the less for granted, constantly maintaining our quality, vancouver with my teams because they’re part expensive brands, are going upstream to experi- refreshing our menus, introducing new wines, of my family. ence danieL because they had a great experi- and creating special events. our customers ap- whether you have one restaurant or 20, ence in a more casual way where they found preciate what we do beyond just opening the it’s a pity when you have to be the cook on the value, which is important today; actually, it’s door every day and doing business. line to cover a lunch or dinner service. if they always been essential. You have built a team of executive chefs need you for that, it means there’s a real struc- in new york, the ultimate dining ex- at each of these destinations who are able to tural problem. once in awhile, i cover for my perience is at danieL, which can amount maintain your standards and quality. What are chef, but i am doing service with everyone – i to about $250 per person for dinner; café the key ingredients for a good chef, and how am fl oating, i am going to the dining room tak- boulud runs about $100; db bistro about $70; critical has it been to fi nd that type of talent? ing orders, following service. my responsibility bar boulud at around $50; and dbgb is even that talent has to have good training, and is not only cooking in one station. certainly, a little cheaper, depending on how much you fi rst and foremost, has to relate to me. we col- when the kitchen is made of 10 stations, i can- choose to eat. laborate. i may be the mentor, but our rela- not attend to all of them. there is no magic Even at DBGB, where the price is more tionship is based on mutual respect and trust. formula – it takes a good team, and in our busi- moderate, you still offer a high level of they have to be good leaders, but team players ness, people make that happen.• 78 Leaders posted with permission. copyright © 2010 magazine, inc. volume 33, number 4