Life, on the Line (35 page)

Finally, Achatz LLC has put Joe Catterson, our GM, on payroll early. Joe is beginning to work four days a week interviewing potential staff, helping to create the employee manual, choosing and sourcing service pieces, and researching potential POS systems. Joe is also returning calls and e-mails from patrons requesting reservations. The investor group does not absorb Joe's payroll costs.

 

 

FROM METROMIX.COM—THE
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
WEBSITE—GRANT AND CURTIS DUFFY IN THE FB OFFICES.

The interior design budget was originally estimated at $175k. Currently, the actual cost is roughly $189k. Given that the decorative lighting budget is included in these numbers, I feel good about how much we are getting for the money. Tom has done an excellent job of sourcing furniture, then redesigning it and having it made at more modest prices.

For example, our first two prototypes for the custom tables were of generally poor quality with a bad base, ugly finish, and just didn't look luxurious. This is the most recent iteration.
SEE FIGURE 27

 

 

The table is mahogany and mahogany veneer. We are making adjustments to the size of the top and the material of the base to create more leg room. But the look and feel is amazing. A room full of these will look very elegant, especially when set with stainless steel accents, china, stemware, etc.
SEE FIGURE 28

In addition, that is our fifth prototype chair. The only change from this to the final chair is that we are sloping the back an
extra inch to increase the lumbar support. The chairs have been ordered and are in production.
SEE FIGURE 29

The contrast of the chair materials is not as pronounced in person as it is in this picture. The back is black and tan houndstooth in a material that looks like silk, but in fact is a highly durable (500k double rubs) material that can be washed with soap and water. The chairs are costing, all in, roundly $400 each—which is an incredible price/quality ratio given the junk we looked at for more money.

We have ordered 50+ silk accent pillows in four different materials that will alternate seasonally.

The LED lighting system is in production. It will consist of 50+ tubes varying in width and height from 6” diameter and 3 feet high to 16” diameter and nearly 8 feet high. These will be supported by a hidden system behind the banquettes in each dining room and will be placed in groups of three. The color and intensity of the light can then be computer controlled and varied throughout the year, or even subtly throughout the evening. For example, you could program them to change from light green to pale orange over the course of five hours.

The banquettes will be in a solid black material that feels like velour or velvet. The neat thing is that the material has the color bound to each fiber before it is woven at the molecular level . . . and therefore even though it is black and very soft, it can be scrubbed with soap or even bleach without the color fading.

Finally, we have eliminated for budget and design reasons the mechanical doors between the kitchen and the front of the house on the first floor. Instead, that entire wall will consist of glass panels akin to the ones used for the front entrance stairway. Since this does not border any dining room, we have decided to eliminate the kitchen door altogether, giving guests a glimpse into the kitchen from the front gallery, the coat room area, and the first floor restroom. It should be very dramatic.

We were finally able to pay for our liquor license, which means that the 45-day mandatory posting period began on January 14th. That is very good news. All of the local investors who have already been contacted are going on the 24th for fingerprinting. We should have the conditional permit in hand well before necessary.

The schedule appears to look something like this:

In the midst of an update that will ultimately ask for a greater commitment from investors it may seem odd to mention cost savings! But we have received some good news on that front lately.

First, Ermenegildo Zegna USA has notified us that they do indeed wish to move forward and work with us on cross marketing. Zegna will be presenting three options to us next Monday, but at the very least we will be assured to save significant money and our staff will be wearing truly elegant suits. Basically, we will be able to buy all of their suits at wholesale, and Grant will get a seasonal line of clothing for free. I will send another e-mail to you all when we confirm the details of their offer. And thanks to Zegna customer and Alinea investor Dr. Mark Davis for making the introduction—you must have bought a lot of suits there, Mark!

Second, as promised, CookTek has delivered a set of induction burners for free. We signed no agreement to market for them, though we will feature them on our website and will be testing their products. I am sure they will make mention of it in their corporate literature, which is fine by us, so long as they do so respectfully.
SEE FIGURE 30

 

PolyScience has been a real find. Not only have they lent us without charge various laboratory-quality water baths that we will use in the Alinea kitchen, but also Philip Preston, their CEO, has designed and manufactured the coldplate or antigriddle to Grant's specifications. Basically, it cools a griddle to -40 Celsius, enabling Grant to create unique textures with various foods. He is a great resource for us and will no doubt aid Grant in creating new cooking methods and techniques for the Alinea kitchen.

As many of you know, we had dinner last month with Roy Welland. Roy is the owner of Cru restaurant in New York (recently nominated for the James Beard Best New Restaurant Award). In addition, Roy has put together what can only be described as one of the premier wine collections of the world. He and his wine director Robert Bohr have agreed to consign an amazing list of fine and rare wines to Alinea. Robert has spent a great deal of time and effort constructing an offering that will immediately have an impact on the Chicago fine dining scene, and will put Alinea alongside the best Chicago has to offer. Coupled with Joe Catterson's uncanny ability to craft wine flights, and his ability with our allotted budget to round out the list with fine American wines and unique allocations that he is getting locally, we will have a truly spectacular wine experience available to our patrons.