« April 2007 Table of Contents 
In the Kitchen: Creating cravings
Devon and Bristol expansion focuses on individual restaurant identity
By Joan M. Lang
April 01, 2007
Watch out for upscale-casual seafood concept Devon and
Bristol. After a few years' hiatus, the seafood siblings of
Houlihan's Restaurants group are on the move again, with plans
for two to three more locations in both established and new
markets, focusing on affluent, high-density retail/residential
markets.
"Being owned by Houlihan's gives us the advantages of a
chain as far as purchasing power and other synergies, but we
manage and execute the seafood restaurants like an
independent," says Lou Ambrose, VP of specialty restaurants for
Houlihan's, who oversees not only the seven-unit Bristol
Seafood Grill group, but also four J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired
Steaks locations.
The upscale-casual seafood grills have had a long and rather
circuitous history. The first, Bristol Bar & Grill, was
opened in 1980 by Houlihan's founders Joe Gilbert and Paul
Robinson in their hometown of Kansas City, Mo. With its stylish
dark-wood and stained glass décor, exhibition kitchen and
oyster bar and seafood-intensive menu, Bristol was unique for
its time, especially in heartland America.
Three more locations opened in short order, in St. Louis,
Chicago and Atlanta, before a trademark glitch precipitated a
name change: The company was enjoined from using the Bristol
marque outside of Missouri, so it adopted Braxton, Chequers and
Devon Seafood Grill (all names of port towns in England) in
outlying markets. Future development will be under the Bristol
Seafood Grill
moniker in Missouri, and the Devon brand
elsewhere.
Confusing, perhaps, but the multiple names serve to support
the company's strategy of operating each location as an
individual entity, with its own chef and management team.
Despite that autonomy, however, the group's fortunes have been
tied to those of its parent company. In the late 1980s and
early '90s, Houlihan's - one of the earliest of the so-called
"fern bars" launched in the go-go early '70s - was struggling
with its own identity and put a stop on unit expansion. In
January 2002, the company declared bankruptcy.
That same year the new owners brought in Bob Harnett, best
known as the creator of Einstein Bros. Bagels, and the CEO
engineered an all-points turnaround, putting a more
sophisticated, adult-oriented Houlihan's back on a growth
track.
Harnett did the same for Bristol and Devon, too. New décor
emphasizes a lighter, more modern ambiance, and the menu
spotlights contemporary seafood signatures with an average
check of $18 at lunch, $40 at dinner. Average annual unit
volumes reach $5.5 million.
Positioning has been crucial as competition heats up in the
seafood dinnerhouse segment. "There are a lot of good
competitors out there," admits Ambrose. The company has pursued
business dining and other special occasions by taking advantage
of semi-private banquettes seating four to 10 - a feature of
the concept that goes back to the original location. With a
core menu that extends to all seven locations, Bristol and
Devon have upped the ante on quality with an all-scratch
kitchen and daily deliveries of fish from all over the world,
prepared in unique ways with distinctive accompaniments and
sauces.
Best sellers include jumbo lump Maryland Style Crabcakes
with Creole remoulade and mango tartar sauce; San Francisco
Style Cioppino; and an unusual take on tuna tartare with
pickled cucumbers, broken wasabi vinaigrette and housemade
sesame crackers.
Sauces run to Cabernet reductions and Chardonnay beurre
blanc - distinctive formulations that are also light enough to
let the seafood shine through. Accessories run the gamut from
chive gnocchi and creamy lobster risotto to braised leeks and
sweet potato bacon-corn hash. Even the corn crêpes for the
enchiladas are made from scratch. Each unit chef has
considerable leeway in designing seasonal specialties, such as
Tandoori Marinated Tilapia and Pan Seared Potato Wrapped
Grouper. In addition, there are always six to eight nightly
fish specials, served broiled, grilled or seared. At any given
time, the seasonal items might account for 33 to 50 percent of
sales; a real hit might account for 60 to 70 orders a night out
of 300 covers.
The real challenge, however, is executing a complex menu of
scratch-made preparations and fresh seafood, which requires
considerable skill to manage.
"Fresh seafood is much more difficult and demanding to work
with than prime beef, in everything from shelf life to
preparation,"
he explains.
Daily delivery is key. At the Houlihan's Restaurants support
center in Kansas City, VP of Purchasing Murray Meikenhous
contracts for seafood staples, such as shrimp, crab and
calamari, and handles all purveyor inspections and specs. The
individual chefs are responsible for their own daily ordering
from a handful of primary suppliers (including Connelly Seafood
in Boston), as well as local sources. "Otherwise, you simply
can't get the quality and freshness we want to provide our
guests,"
says Ambrose.
In addition, the local chefs have the support of VP of
Culinary Dan Admire, Manager of Culinary Michael Pallante and
Director of Culinary Operations George Atsangbe, who are
collectively responsible for approximately 85 to 90 percent of
the menu, and for chef training, follow-up and trouble
shooting.
"For any significant new menu introduction, the chefs are
brought here [to headquarters] for a three- to four-day
training session," explains Ambrose. In addition to the chef,
each location has two sous chefs, for maximum culinary talent
as well as a built-in succession plan.
Kitchen operating systems emphasize quality, waste reduction
and productivity. "We have all that in place," says Ambrose.
"For instance, making chowder four times a week is cost- and
quality-effective; making it every day is not. That puts a lot
of importance on forecasting and purchasing."
What matters most though, according to Ambrose, is the
quality and passion behind the product. "With the menu we've
developed, we're creating cravings. That's the best hook we
have."
Contributing Editor Joan M. Lang lives in Cape Elizabeth,
Maine