Foodies
(top) chefs Jason, Nate and Warren (bottom) One of Crush’s three distinct environments
A Lesson in Business Sustainability:
Chico’s Crush by Aveed Khaki
Opened on December 17, 2007, Chico’s Crush has become a mainstay on the circuit of must-hit restaurants for foodies who demand excellence in food quality and service. Though, as resident chefs Jason Colabove, Nate Gansfried, and Warren Miller will point out, the road to the top isn’t always an easy one. In September of 2008, after having experienced the excitement and glow as Chico’s newest and most sought after restaurant for just over nine months, the economy’s downward spin started to set in, taking its toll on the local fine dining industry. The youthfulness that at first had made Crush a foodie go-to, quickly became its downfall as patrons began to frequent locations where they had been regulars, significantly dropping the day-to-day influx of clientele the restaurant had previously enjoyed. Rather than dropping prices in an attempt to regain customer interest, the team at Crush decided to dig in and retool the entire restaurant from top-to-bottom. The following nine months could have easily been recorded as the definitive book on how to properly operate a successful restaurant. Committed to providing customers 56
with value that they wouldn’t experience anywhere else, Crush adopted the policy of refusing to say, “no.” Menus were seen as suggestions, and customer requests were treated as mandates rather than put-offs. If someone ordered peanut butter and jelly, the challenge became creating the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich they had ever had. Having mastered the service element, they set off to tackle the customer experience. Investing heavily in the design of the restaurant, the team added noise canceling foam to the ceilings to allow for a new and creative layout that featured three separate dining areas, one for casual dining, one for fine dining and another for bar and lounge dining. The investment paid off and the restaurant quickly saw an increase both in the number of patrons as well as the range in demographics. They furthered this experience by adding a brand new patio dining area, valet parking and what would arguably come to be Chico’s most popular happy hour menus. Four years later, it’s hard to believe that there’s anything left to improve on, but the trio of chefs maintain that they’ve just scratched the surface. Having recently
UPGRADED LIVING | AUGUST 2012 | UPGRADEDLIVING.COM
implemented a new Chef ’s Club that provides family style dining, the chefs have challenged themselves to reinvent each and every dish on their menu, and once completed, to do so all over again. The purpose, each says in his own way, is to continue to evolve at the most fundamental level of the business. Cooking outside of their comfort zones and attempting brand new dishes is not out of the ordinary any longer. Egos are guaranteed to be checked at the door, and the food is increasingly farm fresh, utilizing products from local names like Comanche Creek Farms, S&S and the Thursday Night Market that takes place on Broadway Street directly below. In the fall, Crush will once again host the Boys and Girls’ Club of Chico in a one-ofits-kind training program that will teach the youth how to operate in a fast-paced restaurant atmosphere. If you remember from our earlier writeup, last year was a complete success, and we’re positive this year will be even better. Keep an eye on their website for dates and times. It is clear from even the most fleeting of visits that there’s something special in the air here, and this time, it feels like it’s here to stay.
photograph on left by Clark Miller. Photography on right courtesy Crush.