Capital Grille
 

A friend who is a long time server at a local fairly upscale restaurant is thinking of making a change. A Capital Grille is opening here in a few weeks. I had told him that I've eaten at two of them -- Providence and Kansas City and I thought they were wonderful and very upscale. He applied today and was shocked to learn they are part of the Olive Garden and Red Lobster chains. Is that a cause for concern? He was also surprised that they'd be open for lunch. Naples not being a big business lunch place, lunch is usually a real loser for servers.
By the way, two Ruth Chris restaurants opened in the area in the past two years and both are in serious trouble. Sometimes chains -- even upscale ones just don't do well here. Your thoughts?

What's the harm in trying if he wants a change? People move around in the business? If he's good he can get his old job back should the new one not work out.

Customers might not like the idea of a chain, but as an employee I don't think it's the worst thing (benefits, structure, all that).

Again if he's good & experienced there's no reason he should have to take on lunch shifts (that's for kids) he should be able to have dinners only right from the start.

Hey NeoPatrick!

The company you are referring to is Darden Restaurants. If your friend googles them, he'll find all kinds of information. They also own Smokey Bones and Seasons 52.

If you do a search for Seasons 52 on this forum, you'll find many Orlando Fodorites list it as one of their top reccomendations. Very classy with great food.

If your friend hopes to move into management with the chance to advance, he should be very interested in this company.

DH attended a business dinner at the Ruth Chris in Atlanta during a conference in April. He works for a major aerospace company, which happens to have offices near many Ruth Chris locations. Do you think they care? Not in the least! Service was abyssmal; they waited 1 1/2 hours from the time they ordered until the food was served!! Food was not well prepared, and all the servers disappeared the minute the food hit the table. Their evening was topped off when the checks came and a 23% gratuity had been added to all their tabs. Woman in charge of arranging the dinner tried to speak to the manager. She said he was the most arrogant man she'd ever met! Needless to say, this major corporation will not be suggesting this restaurant to their 100,000+ employees!

Darden doesn't own Smokey Bones anymore. They sold it. They bought Longhorn after they sold SB. (I know a lot about chain restaurants because my ex-husband and his father own one of the biggest TGI Friday franchises in the US.)

Capital Grille does very well in Philly. It is in a prime location, however, right on Broad Street near Ritz Carlton, City Hall, and the upscale shopping of Rittenhouse Square area.

We take clients to Capital Grille all the time. They have a good wine list, good filet mignon and caviar. My Aunt Judith likes to go there, too, when she visits from London.

I read in the NY Times that Ruth's Chris is NOT doing well nationally. (slong with Morton's)

Thingorjus

Darling Thin, you are so right!

It slipped my mind that Darden had sold Smokey Bones. Guess I get to blame it on this darn tropical storm. All these darn branches hitting the house are starting to make me twitchy!

DSs have been wanting to try the Capital Grille in Orlando. Sounds like we just might have to do it.

The Capital Grille in Charlotte does very well- it's also in a prime location directly across from Bank of America and down the Street from Wachovia. It is busy at lunch, after work for drinks, and at dinner. I think it may be a good opportunity for your friend, but you know the market and that area better than I do.

As for Ruth's Chris, I have been VERY disappointed with the 2 located in Charlotte. Ruth's Chris's service has just been sub-par and the food is faltering as well. I'll take Capital Grille any day over Ruth's Chris.

Lunch at the Charlotte location fairly often and am always happy (especially when someone else pays). Lunch is always busy - I'm sure to make a reservation to be safe.

I do notice that there seems to be little turnover in the wait staff. Same servers every visit.

Have not tried the new Ruth's Chris downtown - seems too expensive for lunch and place always looks empty except for the 2 or 3 tables of "look at me" folks sitting on the patio. Doubt they'll stay open too much longer - especially with Wachovia's cutting back on expenses.

(Re: Olive Garden and Red Lobster -- depends a little on how you feel about certain practices that have nothing to do with how they treat their managers or servers.)

Seems to me upscale chains are the only ones that ARE doing well in a lot of places. And fwiw, Ruth Chris is struggling in most locations, in any case.

Ruth's Chris deserves to be in trouble. Terrible restauant. Terrible service.
Capital Grille is as much a chain as any other--just a different price point.
And Morton's is my other NONE favorite steak house.

I think Capital Grille is a big power lunch restaurant and IMO that is why it does well in big metro areas where there are many offices around. In Miami CG is located in Brickell Ave in the midst of bank high rises. Mind you I have been there for dinner many times and it is still pretty full.

The Naples area, it seems to me, is more of a tourist area that gets very busy in the winter. When I go to Naples, I prefer to eat at places that I don't have at home, rather than the chain restaurants.

If your buddy is happy where he is at, I say stay put. Especially in these times.

Patrick - I think the presence of Flemings in Naples could hurt the RCs. I have had excellant service at your Flemings.

Funny you mention Flemings, and they are almost right across the street from Capital Grille. It's also funny that many people I know will NOT go to Flemings because they consider it a chain. There's a real hangup around here about that from many people.
My friend quit where he's been for the past 11 years a couple years ago when Flemings opened and went to work there. He went through their pre-opening training and worked less than a week before he left. He did not like the "memorized" greeting and required "pad the sales" gimmicks, nor the one person takes an order, someone else brings the food, and someone else checks on the customer routine. He loves having direct contact and serving a customer. He has a regular following of request customers where he is. Recently he got a little mad at the new manager there who was listening in and yelling at him for not pushing the special "add a lobster tail to your order", not pushing joining their "dining club program" or other such gimmicks to all his customers. He replied that he knows the customers and they don't appreciate that. Finally he got frustrated and quit -- but three days later they fired the manager. Meanwhile customers were coming in with their reservation requesting him, or requesting him at the door and when they found out he wasn't working, many would say "Oh, then let's go next door to _____ or whatever." After a couple weeks off, my friend went back to work there. They welcomed him with open arms.
I guess he just doesn't want to go through another one of those Flemings training deals -- with the typical chain robot waiter requirements.

Oh, and Capital Grille informed him that ALL servers must rotate the lunch. He's not happy about that.

"and was shocked to learn they are part of the Olive Garden and Red Lobster chains."

Some people need to remember they are WAITING on tables and cut the pretention crap...

"shocked" enough not to apply..I suspect not.

Interesting info about Flemings, Patrick. We went with relatives who seem to go often and knew the waiter by name. He seemed to be with us the entire time but that was a couple of years ago.

I have to admit that I can be chain-phobic. I tend to frequent locally owned places here in Williamsburg.

We have a locally owned steakhouse that I avoid because they use pretentious servicing tricks and salesmanship. The waiters leave their business cards and whip out little flashlights to spotlight your menu.

I am a regular at Flemings and the service is great and for a small party we have the same waiter or waitress throughout the meal and for a large party it will be two people serving us. They definitely build relationships with their clientele. We got there for drink several times a week and have dinner there probably 3-4X month on average.

Dukey, I don't get your post. A place charges an average of around $40 per entree, has a very expensive and extensive wine list and plush interiors with only valet parking. Why wouldn't someone be "shocked" that it is part of the Olive Garden and Red Lobster chain? It has nothing to do with who was shocked or with pretention -- but rather with the idea itself. I was equally shocked and I don't wait tables. It's not unlike saying "I was shocked to learn that KIA owns Rolls Royce" or "I was shocked that Neiman Marcus is a division of WalMart". Why would such an unexpected "surprise" be so offensive to you?

Patrick, we went to the CG in FLL and it was quite lovely and expensive both for lunch and dinner. Seasons 52 was right next door BTW...much cheaper lunch and dinner and almost just as good. I like the local places better too.

Birdie-which steakhouse is that? That sounds quite obnoxious and I would like to avoid that. I live in VB and plan on taking my Mom up to Williamsburg in October for a special dinner.

I've been to the two Capital Grilles in the Boston area (one is in Chestnut Hill), and they are great; they have a good wine list, and our waiter was knowledgeable (and right on) when we asked for a recommendation--and the dinner was excellent...no games, no nonsense. I will not go to Ruth's Chris or Morton's.

br - It's opus 9 in Newtown. For a nice meal I would suggest Fat Canary, Le Yaca, or Whitehall. Let us know what you are looking for and we can guide you.