The secret to Rhode Island’s reputation as a dining mecca is the large number of independently owned and operated restaurants available to us night after night. Most of these are family-owned businesses.
But some belong to another type of family. Restaurant groups are flourishing in the area as these small businesses become successful and discover demand in other areas for their menus and concepts. What distinguishes a so-called group from a chain? Can the individual members of such groups maintain the uniqueness that made them successful in the first place?
The Chow Fun Food Group owns and operates XO Steakhouse, Big Fish, Ten Steak and Sushi and Citron Wine Bar and Bistro, all located in Providence. Owned by Rick and Cheryl Bready, the group was started by John and Suzanne Elkhay, who are still part owners. Nick Rabar is the group’s corporate executive chef.
Being part of a group means “having unique restaurants with an independent feel,” Rabar said. The result, he believes, is chefs who flourish, something that shows on the menu and on the plate. “Our restaurants have an image of high quality. Our customers respond because of our reputation.”
On the business side, this creates a stability that other types of businesses would envy, let alone other restaurants. Chefs at Chow Fun restaurants have been in their kitchens for an average of three to six years.
In an increasingly crowded field, there is always one eye on the competition. Rabar acknowledges his peers in some of the other groups as worthy competitors, particularly the Newport Restaurant Group’s Jonathan Cambra of Castle Hill Inn and Corporate Executive Chef Casey Riley. Riley recently put the finishing touches on the menu at the group’s newly opened Waterman Grille in Providence. Newport Restaurant Group also owns and operates 22 Bowen’s Wine Bar & Grille, The Mooring and the Smokehouse Café in Newport and the Boat House in Tiverton, as well as Blackstone Caterers. The group’s corporate beverage director, Len Panaggio, is regarded in the industry as one of the country’s leading wine authorities.
Restaurant groups retain the same small-business, accessible image even when their ranks swell beyond what would be considered mom-and-pop operations. Pinelli-Marra Restaurant Group, headquartered in East Greenwich, owns and operates eight restaurants statewide, including The Post Office Café, Twist, Pinelli’s Cucina and The Grille, Pinelli’s North End Café, The Grille on Main, Pinelli’s Gourmet Deli and Café at Night, Pinelli’s Cucina/Twist and Twist on Angell.
The company also owns and operates Pinelli-Marra Fine Caterers and Atomic Catering. In April, Pinelli-Marra announced its latest venture, WaterPlace Restaurant in downtown Providence, which is set to open May 16. Co-presidents Bill Pinelli and Steve Marra started their first business with a handshake.
“A chain is a national brand,” said Pinelli. “A restaurant group is a hands-on, day-to-day business, a family environment. That’s my team.”
On a personal note, I can attest to the company’s filial culture. Pinelli-Marra has sponsored my radio show since it began 11 years ago.
Inevitably, questions about secrets to success and formulas are raised. “Our secret is communication,” Pinelli said. “We meet with all of our chefs and all of our restaurant managers each week. One of us is physically in each of our restaurants every day.”
Restaurant groups can create solutions to a competitive market. As Marra puts it, “Our group has the privileges of a national chain in buying power, plus we are able to react immediately to market conditions.”
“We’re trying to stay ahead of the next curve,” Rabar said. Chow Fun plans to open two more restaurants in Providence later this year, Chinese Laundry, serving sushi and Asian specialties, and Rib, a barbecue concept.
In the end, however, satisfaction comes just like it does for the proprietor of a single café.
“We enjoy life one restaurant at a time,” said Pinelli.
Dining Out with Bruce Newbury can be heard on Talk Radio 920 WHJJ-AM Fridays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at noon.
