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| Chef's Showcase |
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| Putting The "We" In Teamwork
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Greg Powell is cultivating a loyal clientele in Beaver County, PA.
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Chef-owner: Greg Powell
Operation: Greg Powell's Rivertowne Restaurant
Location: Rochester, PA
Concept: casual fine dining in a riverfront setting
Check averages: $8 to $10, lunch; $15 to $20, dinner
Number of seats: 98 on main level
Banquet capacity: 60 sit-down or 100 reception guests
Kitchen staff: eight
Signature dishes: Greg's Maryland crabcakes, served with an orange-dill butter sauce; smoked chicken ravioli, tossed in blue cheese cream sauce with pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, green onions and bacon; bread pudding with Jack Daniels anglaise
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| What are some of the ways you establish a relationship with your staff and guests? – Questions & Answers
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How did you come to own your own business?
I've worked in the Pittsburgh area a long time, at the Duquesne Club, the Kaufman House and the Wooden Angel. So I have developed a reputation for my cooking and it seemed time to look for our own place. Word gets around here in Beaver County, where everyone sort of knows everyone - to a point.
We were looking for a while, and then one day the man who owned this property contacted us. After about 50 years in business he was ready to retire and wanted to know if we were interested.
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What's the setting like?
We're right on the river, overlooking the water. The surrounding area is part of greater Pittsburgh, so it's definitely not a rural town, but it's not suburban either. The best way to describe it is as an old river town. The dining room has the best sunset view in the area.
We see our clientele and neighbors as active participants in the business. We have an open-door policy in the kitchen, and anyone can stick his head in and say "hi" or ask us to make something special.
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And how do you put those resources to work at the Gadsden Country Club?
The first step is to identify what is not working properly. Then immediately start focusing on your kitchen’s strengths. When I first got here you might have called this a “problem” property. But once I discovered our strong points, and took the steps to build on them, we were able to start taking our problems on.
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Just how comfortable do your guests get?
It's pretty amazing. When a new employee starts, it's our customers who introduce themselves. They might even make suggestions to new bartenders and waiters to sort of break them in to the way things work.
And of course we cook whatever they want basically. Some guests sit down and just say, "Let Greg create." Or sometimes a dish they like will be rotated off the menu, but hey, if anyone asks for our piccata, he or she can have it. We've got veal, lemon and capers in the kitchen, so what's the problem?
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You sure say "we" a lot…
This is a team concept. "We" refers to all of us here. My wife, Patti, our partners, the staff and even our customers are all a part of what makes this place go. There are a few words that simply are not allowed: "I" or "can't," for example. Of course "yes" and "we" are preferred.
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Does your staff help with the menu development?
There are a few dishes that I've become known for over the years, ones that I've brought with me from restaurant to restaurant. Those don't change much and make up probably between 30 and 40 percent of the menu. But my sous chef is especially good. Believe it or not, we entertain requests from our guests. They let us know when they want a special moved to the regular menu.
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How do you research and get new ideas?
Since we've become owners, we obviously don't get as much time to travel. But when we do, we always eat with an eye for inspiration. I still get a lot from books and magazines, of course. And I always learn from brokers because they really know what's going on out there.
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What are some of the challenges you face as a chef-owner?
One challenge is managing the fixed costs that aren't so fixed. These are things like natural gas and the price of meat, which are usually pretty stable but have multiplied this year. Another challenge is staying on top of changing regulations, that sort of thing. And then there's the paperwork. Customers expect to see you in the kitchen and dining room, and that's where I really like to be, during service anyway. So that means I have to find extra time to do the other work.
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You didn't mention employees. That's rare. Do you have a high turnover rate?
There are always a core group of people who stay and a couple who rotate out. But when we started that first year, we had 165 W-2s. This year I had just 45.
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What do you count on the success side?
The fact that we're still here, now going on five years and that we were just able to buy the building. That means we can start making structural changes and make the place even more efficient. I'm also grateful we've developed a reputation for quality and have established good relationships with our distributors and brokers.
We also have started doing work in the community, and that's very rewarding.
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Please tell us about a recent project.
There's a funeral home nearby run by Mark Knoll. He does a program in the fall for dealing with grief. And he came up with this idea for me to teach a class on how to cook for one person, someone coping with grief, as part of his program. It can become an important part of the healing process. We just finished our first session - four classes taught in a local church kitchen. Each time he gave me a mystery basket, and I came up with 10 dishes, enough for a week, for just $25. We only used a single burner and then I provided some oven-cooking ideas, too.
The response was great, with 45 to 60 people attending every time. I've already gotten thank-you notes, and I think we really helped people at a crucial time in their lives.
In fact, that's the paperwork I'm working on now. I've got to finish up all the recipes so we can hand them out.
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