How has your business changed since you opened?
We have gone from a small French country cafe to an upscale French restaurant, expanding little by little
from 1,000 square feet and eight tables to our current 30 tables. We've always been in a little strip mall,
but that works to our advantage because 85% to 90% of our business is local, so the ups and downs of the
tourist trade doesn't effect us. Zagat now ranks Le Cafe Miche "The best French restaurant in New Mexico."
|
 |
What's the food like at Le Cafe Miche?
Guests will find primarily French food and traditional French cooking. Entrees include veal, seafood, and
steaks. I fly in fresh seafood every day. We don't buy a single finished product. Instead, everything -
stocks, sauces, bread, desserts - is made fresh in our kitchen.
|
|
What are the top secrets to your success?
My wife, Linda, and I are here all the time. Number two: We hire only the best people. Usually they're from
the area and sometimes they don't have too much experience, but we train them. Then I try to lead by good
example and show them how much I care about my business and my customers. The goal is always to treat our
guests as if they were guests in our home and we try to convey that philosophy to our employees so that
they do the same.
|
|
What role does pricing play in the popularity of Le Cafe Miche?
Lots of restaurants that become successful usually end up charging as much as the market will bear. If
you're running $45-50 check averages in this city, it means you start becoming an occasion restaurant. I
can't afford to just see people once or twice a year. I want to see them after a movie for a little snack.
I want them to think of us when they just want a casual dinner during the week and don't want to spend too
much money. Those same couples can come in and spend a lot more, maybe buy a nice wine from the expensive
end of our list, when they do have an event to celebrate.
|
|
What are your biggest challenges?
Now that I have gotten to this place, the challenge is to keep it up - maintain the quality. This is no time
to lay back. You have to be careful that you don't "die," so you must constantly renew yourself. We change
the menu with seasons, for example. We try to offer other exciting things besides meals, like our "Cooking
Class." Every Tuesday night, we reserve a special section of the dining room. It's become very, very popular.
It's a three-course meal with matching wine for $25 a head. Really, it's more of a social event.
|
|
What other sorts of activities did you dream up?
In the wine bar, we have live jazz on Friday and Saturday night. Other times there's a wine and food pairing,
where we invite in an expert and prepare food that both goes well with the wines and food that doesn't go at
all. We'll take it to the extreme, like offering a piece of Stilton cheese with a very light Chardonnay.
Thursday evenings we "Wine-Down." There will be three small wine tastings of 2.5 ounces each, with maybe an
escargot, a pâté, and a cheese. People love these events. And you've got to do them to keep the restaurant
fresh.
|
|
How do you recruit and train employees?
By word of mouth. Cooks and chefs who want to work with us always come by. We do have a good
reputation. We have a fantastic waitstaff now and a great general manager. They take care of all the
details. I don't have to tell them to fix the vacuum cleaner or change light bulbs or fill salt shakers.
They take responsibility for all the little things.
|
|
What role does technology play in the way you do business?
We have a POS system that takes care of accounting and inventories. We just put in a state-of-the-art phone
system to handle messages and reservations. Nothing fancy in the kitchen, though, just traditional equipment.
|
|
How do you add value to your customers' dining experiences?
I think value is a combination of ambiance, service and food, and it has to be a combination. You wouldn't
go to a restaurant just because they had great service if they had crummy food.
|
|
How do you anticipate customer's expectations?
Every restaurateur thinks he knows everything. The most important way to anticipate is you have to willing
to listen and willing to taking advice. What I want might not be exactly what my customers want. In fact,
the wine and food pairing idea was actually from one of my customers and it's been one of our most
successful activities.
|
|
