ANNUAL EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE DiRo-NA'S

Fine dining means different
things to different people.
Some guests might require a
big-name chef while others
require a white linen tablecloth.
Managing Editor, Julie
Shamrock sat down with
several DiRo - NA restaurateurs
during the NRA Show in
Chicago in May to discuss
their own personal definition
of fine dining.
Panelists included:
Tim Creehan, Beach Walk, Destin, FL
Peter D'Andrea, Old Hickory Traditional
Steakhouse, Nashville, TN
Kevin Joyce, The Carlton, Pittsburgh, PA
Chick Marshall, Mr. Stox, Anaheim, CA
Joey DiSalvo, DiSalvo's Station
Restaurant, Latrobe,
DiRo - NA VOICES
The Definition of
Fine Dining
What is your own personal definition of
fine dining?
Peter: My personal definition of fine dining is that
the guest never has to ask for anything. If you can
anticipate the guests’ needs, that is fine dining.
Chick: Fine dining is dining for an occasion, not
just as a last-minute decision for dinner. It means a
certain level of service, food, quality and atmosphere.
Joey: It means offering the best of food, wine and spirits,
having a great atmosphere and a passionate staff.
Why do diners return to your restaurant?
Peter: We have unobtrusive and flawless service,
a sense of arrival and the best cheese cart.
Kevin: Our wine list has over 600 wines by the
bottle and over 40 by the glass. We have a great
staff and have 15 employees that have been with
us for over 15 years.
Tim: In the service industry, everyone is on an
equal playing field. When the guest leaves the
restaurant and thinks about their fine dining memory,
the service is what should make the difference.
Chick: We have people who care about service, a
wonderful atmosphere and top quality food and
presentation.
Joey: We offer an atmosphere unique to our location
because we are built in a railroad station and
are a registered historic landmark. My father emigrated
from Italy and brought his talent, passion
and cuisine.
How do you distinguish yourself from other fine
dining restaurants in your city?
Tim: We look for opportunities to try to do things
differently. For example, whereas most restaurants
are strict on a corkage fee, we feel that if we don’t
carry that particular wine, there is no fee.
Kevin: We build value by offering limousines to
chauffer guests to the theater after dinner even
though the theaters are located on the other side
of town. This connects us to that area. We also
offer only a $10 mark up on wine, which has
allowed us to expand our list because people
don’t feel as though they are being ripped off. We
went from 16 wines by the glass to 40, which are
priced between $6 and $19 and now we sell
more wine. A daily changing menu keeps the
culinary team thinking and moving.
Chick: It is important to go beyond the basics with
staff training and spend time thinking of unique
things to do in the restaurant.
Joey: We offer a unique destination since we have
a 16,000 square foot restaurant in a 9,000-person
town. We have a place for everyone with personal
attention and various levels of dining, from our
main dining room to our gourmet dining car to
our cigar bar.
How have restaurant operations changed since
you began in the restaurant industry?
Tim: In the past, if we changed our menu every
season it was a lot. But now, we change our
menu on a weekly basis. If you don’t, you will get
passed by. There used to be one big restaurant in
our town, now we have one new restaurant a
month. The customer is also more educated now
because of the Food Network and cooking shows
on television.
Peter: We change to be adaptable to the economy
and to the competition.
Kevin: The competition is more difficult now. We
are now working harder, seeing fewer results and
always seeing someone new come in.
Chick: A big change is in the sophistication of the