|
|
 |
|
| Restaurants |
Gastronomic Proportions
Stewart Kampel
07/01/2004
|
We are living in the Age of the Star Chef. One-word monikers such as Masa and
Nobu tickle the tip of the dining glitterati’s collective tongue like a
sprightly sorbet. But for a select few, a dazzling restaurant is more than just
a seat of epicurean royalty. It is an investment driven by equal parts
gastronomic titillation, celebrity worship and razor-edged business acumen. For
those of us with the stomach for it, the search for the next Jean-Georges has
already begun.
 | | THE MONKEY Bar evokes the panache of the 1930s and ’40s. |
Some investors are lured by the glamour of the business, notes
Tim Zagat, publisher of dining guides for dozens of American cities. “They may
be willing to lose their money, but they’re probably not in it for the money.
They’re in it for fame, for celebrity and for a chance to show off.” But for the
most part, investors tend to shy away from the limelight, and entrepreneurs and
deal makers are reluctant to disclose their names. Some ventures involve as many
as 30 investors; others are backed by a sole enthusiast. But there is one factor
that is nearly ubiquitous: owning a share in a restaurant is the fulfillment of
a fantasy for many investors.
“The people who invest in restaurants are like
people who invest in Broadway shows,” says Richard Bloch, who has designed more
than 200 restaurants around the world. “They’re interested in high-risk deals,
the star quality of a chef or the food arts, and want to be able to tell
friends, ‘I invested in that restaurant.’ Very often these are people who really
love food and can afford it.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
