♪ [theme music] ♪ >>> manga! that's all people want to do. they want to eat. they want to eat all over. they want to eat steaks. they want to eat japanese. they want to eat french. they want to eat italian,
american, and then they want to eat barbecue. so today, here with the help of my buddies, my executive producer who takes over the show, drew nieporent. >> thank you. >> he's has assembled a group of dynamic restaurant people to
discuss the current trends and save the restaurants. my guests are from canada. >> yeah. >> hugue dufour of m. wells steakhouse and m. wells dinette. from the city of brotherly love, philadelphia, joey campanaro,
who is the little owl market table and the clam. also in the sauce business. from brooklyn new york, number one barbecue in the city of new york. in red hook. bill durney. and last but not least the kid who grew up across the street, the famous proprietor,
not the chef, the owner of tribeca grill, you have the hamburger place, nobu, and the legendary drew nieporent. >> michael you tasked me to do a slightly different show than we normally do. going outside of manhattan, i'm basically -- when you say new
york restaurants, i say manhattan. i said to bill, he's doing something to staten island. >> where's staten island? >> that's right, staten island. >> yes. the great news in new york is that it's now a great food mecca
for all the boroughs. generation has really made it worthwhile to go outside of manhattan and to move to brooklyn, queens, staten island, i guess. >> we know each other a long time. he's had to go out for ten years
now. >> market table for nine and the clam- >> right, and the clam is doing great i know that and he also made the mistake of going to philidelphia. the show really goes some place within the five boroughs but-
>> the canadian over here who learned the problem of a restaurant. getting screwed by the landlord. we didn't understand, put many into the place and what happened after a year? >> i have no name for myself. just moving down here with my
wife. we were serving -- like we had a plan of serving like commuters breakfast in the morning. we didn't expect too much. a little bit of money, a few credit cards. >> what was that look? >> this space was an old diner.
right across the street. and it was always empty. and at the time, i was still living in montreal dating my wife -- my wife wasn't my wife then. >> that's usually how it goes. >> and then i'd come back a week later, and oh, the tenant gone.
and i was like mysterious, beautiful diner in jersey, the whole thing. and we're looking for a place. and there's no big deal to just think at some point, this place, they had three liquor rienss within the same premise.
they had a chinese takeout inside, a spanish deli, and a bar just like for the commuters for long island railroad like you take one to stay, one to go. that was it. you know, and then we had to chase the landlord. >> made it a michelin star steak
house? >> steak house is a new venture, but at the time, i had been given a michelin star at diner i was closing. i had to send it back. >> what would you say put you on the map? >> i had a friend writing for
the "new york times" at the time who thought it was good write a story, but i knew him from montreal. the outer boroughs. you know, it was one separate thing in the market, and people would go to other places for italian food, you went to
parkside. everybody knew that parkside was a great place. people only knew you could be in manhattan. manhattan was the place you couldn't be in the west village. it was in a different market. how'd you decide to go over
there? >> i was working in tribeca at the time. and before tribeca, i lived in los angeles. and you know, i lived in new york. if i'll go back to new york. i don't want to be in like
typical new york. i want it to feel not new york. i ended up in tribeca and the only other place that i felt like wasn't very new york, with honking horns and people rushing to get to work was in greenwich village. and my ex-wife, paula at the
time, she saw this space and she said call this number, i'll try and do it tomorrow. she said, call it right now. we got into a fight over. i said please, i want to go to sleep, i'm tired, i was in a little bit of a depression. she said joey, call this number
right now. i called and spoke to someone at 11:00 at night. and i saw the place the next day. i submitted a business plan. one of a hundred plans, and the landlord chose us. >> that's great.
how do you, a former security guy, who had your own private security agency decide to get into the barbecue? >> no, i mean, for me it was -- >> i knew you like to carry the logs. little weight lifting here. >> for me, for me it was about
traveling. you know, i got to see a lot of the world when i was looking after a lot of protectees around the world. that's how i met joey, randomly. one of my protectees lived down the block and i would see him out there like he just
said before we went on air and the bloody apron and he was there. it impressed me at the time was was the fact that he was there, all day, all night, and cooked for service. then i'd see him outside. i think instinctively even back
then, i was thinking about what that work ethic meant. i was working with 17, 18 hours a day in the protection agency and see someone like him delivering such a crazy product, and it was well the example of all the hard work. he doesn't know any of this
that i'm saying. that's how i felt at the time, i thought wow, that's interesting. for me it was traveling people seeing people in south america, seeing the cooking over wood fires, hand spinning, live animals, you know, it was not -- not live,
cooking animals. >> it's in your biography that your grandparents originally came to red hook. but red hook doesn't have any restaurants okay. >> they had a couple. >> small number of restaurants, a unique number.
you talk about tribeca, the guy that really established tribeca is my buddy over here when he was racing in the marathon. >> when i was running, yes. there's a lot of similarities because i mean my first restaurant i opened in 1985, 31 years and it was a restaurant
that i could afford. and the outer boroughs, the theory anyway would have been someone's going to set up shop in the borough because the rent is so reasonable, and if they hit a home run. well these guys didn't just hit a home run, i mean, it's like
the notoriety that happens -- it feels like it happens right away, but you have to work at it. obviously it takes time i'm sure when you do that, but -- and then when you have a small restaurant, you know, you don't have the luxury again it's
economics. you don't have the luxury of hiring somebody to do what you do. you have to be there. >> i agree. >> if i go back to show a number of years ago, ten years ago where we were talking brooklyn,
had you on the show and i said to you who's going to open up in brooklyn? it's the husband and wife and they're going to put 12 seats, and that's the only type that's going to survive. >> that's what i said. >> that was your comment.
so the question is, you know like we were talking before to bill. staten island- >> you're really in a nobody -- a place to change long island city to crane country. >> okay. >> there are more cranes up
around the city than anywhere. 32,000 apartments being built in the community. >> wow. >> and not one -- there's one good restaurant. and that's you. because there's nothing in long island city.
>> okay. what was the barbecue place in >> there's a barbecue. >> yeah, pearson started this >> pearson started coming to new york. >> barrel smoker. >> by the way, he cannot set up shop anywhere because he's
burning wood which has tremendous fumes and the communities will go ape -- i'm sure, sorry about that. what do you do about that? >> yeah, i mean, we got a lot of national notoriety very quickly. i demanded that if i was going to take this crazy leap into
this world i knew very little about other than cooking barbecue, for me, it's cooking on open, live fires 24 hours a day and that's what we do. we just figured out how to now put it into a building that's housed for it instead of just free wheeling it.
>> how do you do that? how do you replicate that? >> we don't. >> you're not going to replicate that. okay. even the places been you can't replicate the small restaurant anymore.
>> believe in it, stick to it. >> you think about this. i mean, when i was a kid growing up. the first restaurant i managed, i didn't own it was 24 5th avenue and 9th street. and that was like a dream. the whole thing in new york was
the restaurants in the village, you had the coach house. you know, that was the charming part of new york to go out for dinner. and so you have actually perpetuated that. there was a lot of restaurants in the village.
not a lot of good ones. right? i mean obviously taken over for the coach house, that's good. >> ten years ago, right when the little owl was opening up, there was anisa and i would look at their check average and say how am i going to make money
on ten tables? and i was like, she does it and she's a three star restaurant in the new york times. i'm not a three star chef. i'm a grandmom chef. making my good food. i'm looking for reviews. i want to manage, manage a business at the time.
and i was just coming off of working with jimmy and danny at this monster restaurant. so i wanted something that i could manage and still make money and a phrase that keeps coming to my mind, i want to have this bohemian country club where, you know, i'm very lucky
because we're book thirty days out, but there are people who come up every day and say i want to in tomorrow night. four top, i never say no. i say yeah, sure. no problem. >> i have every friend i ever
grew up for the past 44 years in my existence saying hey man, can we cut the line? >> oh my god. >> and only drew gets to cut the line. >> the market table, what was the name of the guy who owned that space?
okay, so you know who kenny is? >> oh yeah. >> just like me. i'm cool. >> he was like, i'm not going to say he's like kenny, but he has sort of a legend behind him. but kenny -- and i never went there for this reason.
wouldn't take parties of five. >> just the number five? >> and then right now he's in the market with some little thing, and i always go to him because i want him to yell at me or something but tell the story, did he really throw you out?
>> yeah, we were just shopping around because my wife was partner for heritage usa, and they had a little stand there so we buy like a piece of ham that they had and we're carrying the ham and sure enough like what are you doing?
are you going to really bring your food to my restaurant? no, just like happened to have it in my bag. you know, it's like it's like -- okay. it's not going to f---ing work for you today. you're going to come back when you're f---ing hungry.
>> by the way, there's a documentary about this. you should see. >> i have a piece of ham. so here's the question you know, you're still alive, and you're still always looking at opportunities how many seats in your restaurant?
>> now i have 91 seats. >> are you open at lunch and dinner? >> no, just dinner and i'm open three days a week >> three days a week? >> i told you. >> and back in the diner days, i wouldn't open that.
>> he's worked there seven days. >> i work seven days, no worries. >> okay, but the restaurant's only three days. >> three days. >> no, no, it's long days. >> that's a score. >> dinette is unusual.
it changes along with the museum. >> no one wants to go in that business. >> so here's the question with all of you, your business is transferable, could you go into the catering business? >> oh yes.
>> we do. >> we're in that business. we're doing it a lot. >> that's mostly it. >> one of my favorite things is catering. and i have a lot of experience and working with them. so i actually have an event
space on greenwich avenue. and it's the perfect space for the 40th birthday party, when you're 40 years old, you don't have that many friends. >> after that, and you know, i'm sorry, between the 40th and 50th birthday demographic is about 25 to 30 people.
per dinner party. >> so you have a small, private venue. >> private event space. >> private room, store front on greenwich avenue. which we spend a lot of time understanding the value of reciprocation.
so for instance, if you were my client, your guests are my staff clients. and that's how we speak and that's how we treat. so that person number one is going to be interim, transforming it. it's bustling.
there's lots of foot traffic. they can't because it's private. and so as a guest, i feel, i feel privileged, and i'm thank to my host for inviting me. so we play on that as much as we possibly can. >> and the extra people at 8:00 today.
>> also point out, michael. that this -- their restaurants are really have really extraordinary food. they're really known for something. for instance, i just said, all right. if it's as good as they say it
is, and if it's real, better say the proof's in the pudding. this guy is making -- he has a live trout tank in his kitchen. who does that anymore? >> the fish. and this guy makes everything he makes with the kitchen is small, he has to think about the
logistics that he can't see the beautiful chicken and pasta. really at the end of the day. what makes a great restaurant is the food. it is the adventure. it is an adventure to go to the restaurants. >> isn't it also, we've alluded
it before, it's the personality of the owner. i think that's important. >> okay, that's very important, you know, even though there are lines, people know the owner and partners there, you're on base. the same thing, people -- as i said before, one of my friends
wife's 40th is coming up. they love it. they're having a private room. they want to be to be there because it's your personality. the same thing with him. you're over there, maybe it's your wife. >> that's what i had.
>> they want to see us. >> when i'm in new york which is, you know, when i'm not traveling cooking somewhere else these days. i tap every table every night. every single table every night. at the end of the day, we're all very aware, and i don't put
myself in that category at all. but at the end of the day, new yorkers that we're serving work extremely hard for their dollars, and you know, i know i can speak there too. i've been a guest at his i've eaten in his restaurant. you feel good going away,
spending your hard dollars knowing that it's going to a husband and wife, or going to someone who really, really cares. >> you know, the comment that i learned from my buddy over here was besides touching the tables and other items, he said, it's
not only new yorkers, it's people who are the visitors from the world who want to come to new york. when you come to new york, you're looking at your people find out even though it's three days a week, okay, there are people moving from around
the city. people do go to astoria. they've learned about astoria. depending on where the market is, people from around the world come to new york, when they come to the theater, i've done shows on the theater. and the quite says where's the
theater? people spend it, they spend their money in the theater. people who visit new york do the same thing. they save their noun go to your steak house. they can go to the palm, it's
going to the palm. it's a different thing. people go to yours, okay, ghoek to a different barbecue or place or, you know, there's a unique place. tribeca or nobu. it's a unique place and people to want go to there. it's the pass interference.
so, how do you grow in this business today? >> can you replicate, you know, your locations are well within the areas nearby. so you're able to be there. >> i don't know if i could have another restaurant in greenwich but, i do think that there's a
need for another event space. and i think i can grow my business that way. if i were to make another, it would have to be much more it has to be the brand, it has to be the name. it can't be spelled backwards. for me, we're in the process of
opening a building, a 6,000 square foot commissary space for state of the art kitchen with a 200 seat event dining hall. people want to buy out hometown daily. they like that rustic, aesthetic and stuff like that. we're essentially designing the
same building off site. and industry city in sunset park, and which was once for latino area. we're in the building where they make baseball cards now. very cool history to the building. >> so you're moving into the
city. >> not the restaurant, but our catering event and commissary space is 6,000 square feet, 200 seat catering event space. and on the other side. i agree completely with the name, 100%. we're opening 35 seat home fried
chicken restaurant that's, you know, from raw and cast iesh, but we're calling it hometown pan fried chicken. and you have to stay on brand. i completely agree. >> it's brand and the personalities i think -- >> definitely.
>> the combination. >> so what about -- i think this is about the sensibility of the place. i moved from montreal to it happened quickly. the success came quick. and i think it's the responsibility to the place.
i feel like i can move, i can adapt, i can do all sorts of things, i don't have to take my brand and tos for him to someone that will come to you and propose the opportunity. >> i have a lot of opportunity and stuff i want to do.
i'm pleased -- >> creative. >> i do what i want. i've been my very best. >> new office complex being built not too far from you. it's 800,000 square feet. you know, we were discussing, we work, we live, okay, and then
natural developments over there. and there's no good restaurants to speak in the area. >> there's no restaurants, there's nothing. and i don't believe that you need only people to fill a you need businesses, you need a place to shop.
you need hardware store, you need more good restaurants. 100% correct. the biggest problem in the city, it's under retail. it's under retailed in general. >> yes. >> it's not only restaurants. it's not only retail. joke is
you want to go shopping, you have to go to costco. >> and i've had my warehouse there for a while. >> giant boom right now where people enjoy their easy commute to manhattan and they have a little family and stuff. they have day cares and it's
about this. it is, you know, first and for most of this, people come -- that's more than three days. it's not because i want to be excentric. because it makes sense for us. it has been bad on a monday. it hurts.
but i can do all sorts of events if that's how the catering aspect come into play. all of these other days i can get what i want. >> what's your average check? >> $110 per person. >> i'm in the high $60s. >> i think ours is $38.
>> minimum goes to there. >> yeah, and he got two checks. one for him, one for his driver. >> that's right, exactly. >> it is an opportunity in the bronx for the city. >> you learn from philadelphia. do well in the suburbs. >> i think from manhattan, a
neighborhood for young restauranteers to dive into entrepreneurial shim in the hospitality industry might be that's where i would look. >> and you know when i was a kid growing up, i grew up in that area, you were taking a life in your hands.
>> and i'm born and raised in brooklyn. where industry city and surrounding areas, beautiful latino community is there. >> and i'm hoping that doesn't change. i'm hoping because they have a lot to say as far as food is
concerned. and i hope interesting businesses and restaurants grow. >> but restaurants grow by that. >> yeah, but, well that's true. that's definitely true. and i'm a reason, and take it. all of us, we fit into a community culture.
and if you take bits and piece of that culture out, then the whole, the equation fails. >> tribeca, at the beginning, they didn't want us there, gentrification was a dirty word. now it's become a better word. >> so all in all once again, the co host and
executive producer has outdone himself. hopefully they'll all be back on this and even on my life story show. i'd like to thank you, joey, bill -- >> honored to be here. >> see you next week.