At its Core, it’s All About Hospitality The Multi-Concept Flavors of Park & Elm

By Rona Mann Photos by Stephanie Sittnick

...Eleanor Roosevelt

At its very core, hospitality is really all about welcoming strangers, providing a safe haven, feeding them well, and always, always showing kindness. It’s not just the food, it’s the thought that goes into that food before even one ingredient is chopped or liquified. It’s knowing your customers, knowing the area, knowing what people are needing and wanting, and then giving it to them along with options, choices, and a smile. Consistently. Every day. “That” is true hospitality, and that’s what was the mantra and the intent behind the family who opened the Park Theater in 2018, complemented it with the successful Doc’s Restaurant, and then outgrew their own success and needed to make a move.

They didn’t have to look very far, they just crossed the street, purchased a four-story building that was in need of some renovation, love, and hospitality, and over the period of two years they created a new venue for food, fun, relaxation, and a special way to enjoy great food at nearly every price point.

From the first, Park Street Hospitality did it wisely and slowly, dotting every I and crossing every T along the way. They didn’t “close” Doc’s, it was reimagined and now is a much-loved venue for catering, special events, and supporting the art happenings and shows still going on at the Park Theater. In short, it is a hospitality center.

By moving their restaurant to a much-needed larger space, “we increased our dining capacity by 30%,” said Ben Miller, Hospitality Operations Manager. “We kept our same chef, Matt Delos, who is the Executive Chef and curates all parts of our operation.”

“All parts?” Yes. Yes indeed. This is what makes Park & Elm a unique addition to the dining and entertainment industry in the Capital Region, for when they moved their fine dining to one side of the building, they added a gourmet grocery, market, and deli to the other side, thus allowing patrons an opportunity to enjoy a special dining experience in their Contemporary American restaurant as well as order platters for a party, take out prepared foods, or even grab a ca sual breakfast or lunch at the deli counter. The latter showcases delicious imported products such as olive oils, charcuterie, and still sup ports their area community by using local eggs and produce items in their preparations.

Executive Chef Delos is classically trained at the famed Culinary Institute of America, and proudly shows off his French and Italian culinary influences in much of his food, but Park & Elm does not deal in labels. “We don’t pigeon-hole or label, we’re just good food,” Miller adds.

The restaurant and full bar can comfortably seat 85 people, come this spring they will open patio dining allowing seating for 60 additional patrons and adding a pleasant outdoor dining experience.

From the beginning, the hospitality group handled its expansion and renovations care fully. It took two years to completely redo the new venue, and the visible project created a lot of excitement in the area as local folks watched with great expectation until the grand opening last Fall. The Market & Deli opened first, just prior to this past Thanksgiving, with lines of customers ordering and purchasing free-range turkeys and sides to complement their meals. Early in December, the opening of the restaurant followed, “and the response was even greater than we expected,” Ben added. “From the moment we opened, we sold out all reservations, and even now, we heartily recommend our patrons call for a reservation, especially on weekends.”

“Hospitality is almost impossible to teach. It’s all about hiring the right people.”

...Danny Meyer, Famed NYC restaurateur

The Park Street Hospitality folks know how to hire and although Ben Miller admits, “it was a whirlwind from mid-November to Christmas, now our staff can relax a bit, finetune what they do, and really get comfortable with who we are.”

Although much of the attention the last couple of months has been centered on the food op erations, the group has not forgotten the

Park Theater which continues to house small concerts and shows in addition to being a beautiful and flexible event space. “We can set up the theater for a concert or remove the rows of chairs, put in tables, add intimate lighting, and be a perfect place for a party or wedding reception.” All events and receptions are curated and catered under the watchful eye of Chef Delos so there is a consistency to the food on both sides of the street, even in the market and deli. “If you enjoyed a delicious steak in our restaurant last night, you can probably buy that same steak in the market’s butchery the next day. Same quality and flavor,” Miller adds.

All menus in the restaurant, market, deli, and catering will be rotated seasonally, and in the very near future recipe packages created by Chef Delos will be a prized addition to food baskets.

Yes, it’s all under one umbrella...your quick morning breakfast on the way to work, that sandwich or salad at lunch for take-out or eat-in, those imported specialties, charcuterie, deli salads, and more to take home; and right next door is a beautiful fine dining restaurant. “Dressy casual,” adds Ben, “but absolutely not stuffy!” And right across the street are events, concerts, art, parties, and receptions. Welcome, then, to Park & Elm, and see what the “boys on the block” have created.

When “hospitality” is part of your business name as it is with Park Street Hospitality, you had better deliver. It has to be your mission statement, your everyday challenge to grow and produce, and the knowledge that your first and most important responsibility is to your customer, whether fine dining patrons who linger over a great meal and after-dinner spirits or those who stop in for a quick sandwich or to order a party platter.

They’re doing it, alright. It’s delightfully different and a delicious addition to the dining landscape of the Capitol Region. Got an appetite for something new? Then go see for yourself.

“It’s not your customer’s job to remember you. It is your obligation and responsibility to make sure they don’t have the chance to forget you.”

...Patricia Fripp, Presentation Skills Expert

www.parkandelm.com

Paula McCormick Interiors specializes in all phases of interior design. She will be able to assist you in every step of the design process. Whether you are remodeling your current residence or building a new home Paula and her team will guide you every step of the way.

Paula McCormick Interiors was the recipient of over a dozen Interior Design awards in 2022.