October 2, 2018 – When Jennifer Roux posted on FaceBook that she was selling Bistro Roux in Pacific Grove last week, it sent out a shock wave. Wait a minute, didn’t they just sink a boatload into this practically brand new venture? Many took notice, including some very talented chefs who were drooling over this just-redesigned space.
But not everyone is cut out to run a restaurant. It’s an insanely life-absorbing task that requires a rigorous commitment to pleasing your customer base.
As Michelin star chef David Kinch of Manresa recently told me, “We aim for perfection every night, knowing that we can’t achieve it.” But to aim, you need to have a team, and that team, starting with your dishwasher, is essential to operating a restaurant that has any hope of being sustainable.
And then, suddenly, the aforementioned FB post came down. Apparently, the liquor license for the former Fifi’s location was acquired by lottery, and state law prohibits the resale for two years. Fabrice and Jennifer will have owned the license for one year in October, so Bistro Roux will remain open in Pacific Grove for at least one more year, as long as they have proper staff. Whew. Jennifer says ideally she’d like to partner with a chef who’d eventually take it over.
Fabrice and Jennifer Roux currently own and operate three restaurants: ROUX in Carmel Valley, which was their first local venture, Bistro Roux in Pacific Grove, formerly Fifi’s, and Carmel Valley Chophouse, which was Lokal just prior. Having three restaurants to operate is a job for insomniacs.
Staff, or rather, lack of it, is at the root of why the Carmel Valley Chophouse in Carmel Valley Village is presently shuttered. Chef Fabrice told us, “It’s labor. It doesn’t exist. Everything is so tight right now. We put out ads everywhere, on Craigslist, FB, but the first thing people ask is, ‘What do you pay?’ And then if we find good people, they cannot afford to live here. Carmel Valley is just too expensive and there are no affordable rentals. If I could afford buy some land and put in a house where employees could live, that would be great!”
Asked what he was planning to do with the Chophouse space, on which he has a 20-year lease, Roux said he’s been thinking about a gastropub concept, something less labor-intensive and expensive than the present high-end steakhouse format. “I’m actually thinking about a cocktail concept. A great bartender with some bar food. Simple, good food, at lower cost. Carmel Valley needs a good cocktail place: there’s really no other place to go here.” And the space is really set up for hanging out, indoors or otherwise, enjoying the beautiful setting with a casual feel.
Roux says he’s kicking around ideas for this great spot in the Village. “Ideas, I’ve got plenty! It’s people I can’t find. I hope with the decline in tourists at the wharf and in Monterey, as we move into winter, that some good help will become available as the bigger places let people go. We try to keep our people on the payroll. We want them to stay with us.”
The intensely constrained labor market is also impacting Bistro Roux in Pacific Grove. Fabrice is talking to a talented pastry chef right now to perhaps make some changes to the menu and format. “We are thinking about doing brunch, and maybe offering some pastry items. Opening earlier. There’s a big kitchen that we could make more use of – maybe make some products that could be sold at multiple shops. Lots of ideas. Something will come together. Knock wood!” In a separate conversation, Jennifer hinted at the possibility of bread. That could be a winner.
One thing for sure is that the October 27 whiskey release party at Chophouse is still on. Jennifer says this will mark the debut of their new gastropub menu format at the Chophouse. She says, think country fare that you would typically find traveling the back roads of France: lots of charcuterie, cheeses, simple, hearty, homey fare.
For the party, the Rouxs procured 252 bottles of special Maker’s Mark Roux-branded whiskey and there’s going to be a party, by golly. “Do you know how rare this is? There are only 252 bottles of that in the entire world!” Fabrice enthused.
“My father called me today, it’s his birthday, and he says, ‘I hope you will save a bottle for me!’ I said, Dad, are you kidding?! I have two whole cases!” When Roux travels back home to France, he fills his suitcase with whiskey, and on the return trip, it’s all French wine.
That’s my idea of a fair and balanced international trade system.
If only the labor and housing situation were more in balance. Remember to tip your waiter in cash.
About the author
Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications. Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.
