Gott Gourmet?

[Slicey]

A New Cafe opened on Magazine st. Its across from the Rendezvous in the space previously occupied by Nile Cafe and its called Gott Gourmet. Havent eaten there yet, he just opened this week but I have seen the menu and it looks very good. Several nice creative salads, then some sandwiches, wraps, gumbo a hand pattied burger and good sounding sides including fresh cut fries. Everything is house made with an emphasis on local produce. Dave Gotter is the Chef/Owner and he's a good guy so I thought Id give him a shout out and some support in his opening days

[Admin]

Google is already returning results on their as-yet unfinished website. About Dave:

http://www.gottgourmet.com/aboutusframe.htm

(Looks like this was originally prepared for his catering/private chef endeavor.)

[Slicey]

Went in for the second time for lunch today and it was very good. It is a very attractive space, and all food comes on nice colorful bowls and platters. You place your order at the counter, then are given a table number and the food is served to you when its ready. Drinks are self serve but the server offered refils and he has a variety of flavored iced teas along with fountain sodas. Yesterday I tried the Pulled pork on a tomato wrap which I liked. It had several condiments on it as well as what he calls a BBQ butter Jus which really rounded out the flavors thoughtfully. Today I tried the gumbo, served with a scoop of potato salad. It was a very large serving and was loaded with good ingredients including real andouille. Didnt notice any shrimp in my bowl but lots of shredded chicken, crabmeat and okra. It was a thicker style gumbo and not too spicy. The winner at the table was his St Pattys day Massacre. Sort of a Reuben with a rustic slaw and the addition of a few French fries IN the sandwich. I really liked the corned beef itself which was thick sliced but very tender. We also tried the burger which was a bit bland without much char on it but the bun was not typical and was very light and buttery. We also had the homemade fries which were a treat but could have been crispier. The entree salads looked good and plentiful, including a curried Chicken salad that we saw go out a couple of times while we were there. Everything on the menu looks fun and well though out and I definitely will be back to try a few more items.

[Low-N-Slow]

So, I've read "elsewhere" that they're charging corkage when they currently hold no alcoholic beverage license, and that it's considered "incredibly wrong" to do so. But why is it wrong for an establishment with no license (for whatever reason) to charge a nominal fee ($5 in this case) to recover the costs of wine service and stemware maintenance different from that of a licensed establishment charging that much, and even more (ostensibly to recover costs of service plus lost profits from a BYOB policy)? It seems as if, even if an establishment's liquor license is being held up by some government bureaucracy beyond its control, that the establishment is somehow considered bound by custom or tradition to provide BYOB wine service gratis until such time as their license is granted. I don't get it. Why is that? What am I missing?

[Isabella Maja]

L & S, I'd have no problem with corkage on a non liquor license establishment.

However, last year when a friend asked me for my opinion on whether or not he should charge a corkage til he got a liquor license, I said no.
He wanted to charge $5. He wanted me to explain & I said, you're a new joint.

Use it to your advantage for a couple of months of no corkage while you wow your customers with your food. That will be a good selling point & you can just chalk it up to an expense to write off if someone breaks a glass (and he had hundreds that he got very cheaply).

He didn't listen & his liquor license took longer than he thought.
He closed his doors before he ever got it because of lack of biz.
The food was outstanding, but he didn't take advantage of many marketing opportunities. I know I kinda went off on a tangent there, but we happened to be discussing this very topic today. Just my 2 cents.

On the other hand, I don't know if it's legal to charge corkage if you don't have a liquor license. Personally, I think it's a bit cheesy, but again, I wouldn't fuss about it.

BTW, I look forward to dining at Gott Gourmet. I have to say tho, the name is kind of a turnoff.

[Low-N-Slow]

It seems to boil down to, though, if you're waiting on your liquor license, you're expected to offer free corkage until such time as you obtain it, and, apparently, if you're never going to get a liquor license, you're expected to not ask corkage, either. But, if you hold a liquor license, it's whatever the market will bear.

[Isabella Maja]

I think so.

Kinda like the difference between being a sophmore & a senior.

I have no idea why I that popped into my head, but it did.
No one said it was fair.

[bam bam]

I ate there the other day. The space is nice. The presentation of the food is excellent. I didn't like the rolls the sandwiches were served on. I also thought that more effort went into describing the food than putting together. It was also a little pricey for a sandwich shop. May lunch ran me like $16 or $17 but I guess this what I will have to look forward to during the inevitable Obama Presidency.

[Pelican Six]

It seems to boil down to, though, if you're waiting on your liquor license, you're expected to offer free corkage until such time as you obtain it, and, apparently, if you're never going to get a liquor license, you're expected to not ask corkage, either. But, if you hold a liquor license, it's whatever the market will bear.

That is absolutely correct, and it is a rule forced on restaurants by consumers, not the other way around. You have to give people a reason to come in. In my opinion, a $5 corkage is chasing nickels when you compare it to the opportunity cost of lost goodwill, which is incalculable. But I understand where it comes from, because it's based on sound principles. But sound principles alone don't put butts in seats.

It depends on your approach to business and customer relations in general. On it's face, a corkage to maintain stems and defray labor is a good idea. But most customers don't give a damn about your costs and you look like an idiot trying to explain it to them. They want what they want, and if you don't give it to them, they'll go somewhere else.

Which brings up another point. Certain people are awfully vocal about the demise of the semi-formal dress code in today's fine dining scene. Do you honestly think it's because restaurants are "slipping?" Customers drive the policies in an oversupplied market. Any of these pundits want to take me to task for letting the guy with jeans and sneakers dine? Buy in!

I had a guy that used to drive me crazy with all the "You should tell the customers to do this, you shouldn't let them do that." I told him that for $100,000 I will pretend to listen to his advice for up to 120 seconds before cutting him off and ignoring him. Want to actually influence the decision-making? That's a bigger check.

All these people who think it's a matter of "training" the customers or whipping them into line are fools. I invite them to open their own place and try out all their whiz-bang business ideas.

[Duke]

Good points. In my imaginary Perfect World where I could "train" my customers, I would train them to not park in front of my place (where parking is already bad enough), then walk a block down to Juan's. But it behooves me to point them in the right direction, then offer them a personal invitation to visit my place next time. Class trumps rudeness every time.

I would train them that the name of the place is "J'anita's" and not Juanita's. Is there a "u" in the name? No.

I would train them that breakfast ends at 11am on the weekend and 10:30 during the week. This is clearly posted on the door AND on the separate sign we place by the door. This does not mean 11:15am. I cannot serve "just one more table."

I would train them to keep their children at the table and not let them go tearing around front and back. The FOH staff is there to serve, not babysit.

I would train them that we are not allowed to serve them alcohol when they are obviously intoxicated when they arrive. Go over to the Half-Moon or The Saint, where no one cares. Similarly, picture ID is required if there is any question of the customer's age.

The bottom line is that the customer is going to do what the customer is going to do -- and (as Chris says) they will go where they can do it. I remember, years ago, being barred entry to a needlessly snooty place in Columbia SC because my pants had "patch pockets." Never mind I was in a tie and jacket and was there to interview a member of Congress. It was silly, and all their policy did was "train" me (and said congressman, who was later governor of the state) to go elsewhere.