John Metz and DiRoNA’s 2007 Culinary Mission
A Conversation With John Metz, Jr.
September 2007
By Julie Douglas
John Metz Jr. is the 2007 Chairman of Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRoNA). A consultant for Greazy Spoon Development as well as proprietor of Sterling Spoon Catering and chef/owner of Marlow’s Tavern, Aqua Blue, Hi Life Kitchen and Cocktails, Metz is steeped in every aspect of the restaurant industry. He recently spoke to Restaurant Forum about his new role with DiRoNA and the benefits of being named one of North America’s distinguished restaurants.
Restaurant Forum: What is the ultimate goal of DiRoNA?
John Metz, Jr.: Our current situation is really focused around the word “distinguished” with regard to stepping away from “fine dining” as a mantra. We’ve focused on fine dining for so long; there are so many great restaurants out there that there are very distinguished in their certain category-meaning it doesn’t just have to be white tablecloth. It could be a great seafood, steak and sushi place, like one of my restaurants, Aqua Blue. Or it could be the higher-end like Bacchanalia that has that distinction as well. So it doesn’t just have to be the formal fine dining. It really is distinguished dining.
Our focus has been on three groups: No. 1 is the restaurant members themselves. Our No. 2 group would be our vendor partners that we’ve worked with over the years like founding partners Coca-Cola and Ecolab. And finally the consumer-based program that is trying to attract people that are already foodies. We’re not looking to promote within the whole free-market world with regard to consumer-based advertising. It’s really about people who want to participate and be around the chefs and the owners. We’ve got credibility within the restaurant industry and vendor partner industry and I think the next level that we need to add to this whole idea of participation within the consumer world-the food-crazy people who watch The Food Network and “Top Chef” and things like that.
RF: What kind of benefits do you offer restaurants?
JM: Part of the added value for restaurant members, partners and the consumers is the educational resources in regard to training, development, programs and services.
RF: What about the 75-point evaluation developed by Cornell University?
JM: That’s something that’s really exciting. It’s pretty unique. We wanted to be able to create special recognition within the industry. It’s really about full service; it’s really about distinguished dining. It’s about the criteria that were created within the 75-point evaluation for the 750 DiRoNA designated restaurants. We not only have new members of DiRoNA, but it’s also about making sure that we maintain our base of core restaurants and that they maintain their level of quality.
RF: How do new restaurants get on your radar?
JM: There are several ways. There are referrals, which can come from our membership, from our vendor partners, from our Board of Directors. This is all anonymous. [The restaurants] then receive an inspection from our referral. The other way is an advisory council and that consists of anonymous people-from food critics, magazine editors, restaurateurs (that are not in DiRoNA) and other distinguished panelists that review of all the processes and they review the inspection process and recommend restaurants that they feel deserve that recognition. Also, you have to be in operation for a minimum of two years to formally be considered for inspection.
RF: It sounds like it’s almost the Academy Awards of the Culinary World.
JM: It is a little. But we don’t want it to be exclusive. We’re not trying to create the exclusion of restaurants. It’s just really about the level [standard of the restaurant]. Distinguished can be unique and all levels. It’s not just high-end.
RF: Tell us about your new role as the 2007 Chairman of DiRoNA.
JM: We have an evolution going and we’re just trying to make ourselves better. Although we’re evolving right now-not just as a recognition organization, we’re also evolving as a membership organization-it’s changing the complexity of it a little bit in regard to the fact that there are certain things associated with membership, whether its annual membership fees, marketing partnerships, program services. So we’re evolving this year with regard to that, trying to create the value for all those members that I mentioned: restaurants, consumers as well as our vendor partners. So that’s been a challenge for us, and it’s really been fun to help with the creation of that, the evolution of that. We have a lot of work to do.
As you are aware, I’ve got a couple of restaurants and two of my restaurants are Distinguished Restaurants of North America [Aqua Blue and Hi Life Kitchen and Cocktails]. It’s been a lot of work for sure.
RF: You’ve opening another restaurant?
JM: I’m opening our third Marlow’s Tavern on Aug. 7. I’m also on the Board of Directors of the NRA and the GRA in addition with my [consulting] work and operating my business. I have a couple day jobs going on.
RF: What elements are you looking for when are you dining out?
JM: I go out every single night of the week, whether it’s one of our properties, or it’s some of the great restaurants in Atlanta. I travel around the world to go see food. In my days working for Carlton Restaurants, that was part of my job-researching food. I look at everything. One of the things I challenge my team on-all my managers, all my partners-is really to continue to evolve our brand and make sure that we learn from the best of the best out there. So we look at food, we look at trends, we look at pricing, we look a menu design, and we look at lighting fixtures. We look top-to-bottom at restaurants. My better half is in this business with me, so she’s very understanding of that.
RF: We’ve seen small plates and upscale-casual trends. Do you see any other trends coming down the pike?
JM: There’s still a big trend on small plates, still going on and continuing to evolve, which is pretty neat. I think it’s been this way for a while, we saw it with Aqua Blue, but sushi is still very hot, and I think it’s because of the lightness of it. People want smaller plates-with regard to even entrees, smaller portions. In turn, we’re looking at our pricing a little bit differently now. We’ve done different tasting menus, different appetizers and tasting portions. We thought it might affect check averages, but it did not, because they just ordered more of the small plates. It’s been pretty interesting to watch. Everybody is about fresh. People want freshness, variety, and they want change. If we’re behind on the menu rollout, they let us know.
RF: What’s your restaurant philosophy?
JM: Hospitality is our No. 1 focus. I try to be the most hospitable person I can be with regard to all of our guests, vendors, and my employees. That’s how we live; that how’s we breathe. And then excellence. Whatever excellence is for whatever item we’re trying to deliver-the expertise to understand what it takes to create and put out the best cheeseburger, all the way to the high-end sea bass and clams. That’s what we do.
RF: Last April you gave the commencement address at your alma mater, the Culinary Institute of America. What was the most important message you wanted the next crop of culinary professionals to get?
JM: It was an overwhelming experience for me. I was choked up a little bit at the beginning. It was really cool to be there. My father gave the commencement address to my class, which was a really cool experience, too. For my address, the big thing was, you don’t have to come out and be the high-end chef like Thomas Keller or Daniel Boulud in New York because there are so many opportunities in the food-service industry as a whole. You could run a concession, street-side vendor business. You could be creating unique food to sell to different people, you could be a high-end chef, you could be a bar chef-you could be anything. That was my big comment to them: not to get hung up on going to New York and cooking at the high-end restaurants-like I did and my classmates did. I had the good fortune to go into both the chain business and the independent business to get a well-rounded experience.
RF: The fascination with restaurants in the media doesn’t necessarily dwell on the business side. How much of your father’s influence as a food management veteran rub off on you?
JM: I credit both my parents: My mom on the hospitality side and my dad on the hospitality side. My mom was very involved in it. My father-being a real leader in this industry for a long time-focused on what to do right and the ethics that I try to operate under today: Taking care of the people that take care of you. Making sure that you’re helping the people around you-create wealth for them and it will make your job easier because you have great folks underneath you. I wouldn’t be able to have six restaurants and try to do it all [without the support]. My father is one of the ultimate entrepreneurs. But he makes all the key people his partners.
RF: What’s your take on the state of restaurants in the ‘burbs today?
JM: I think there’s a big need for it. People want to travel less to go get great food. I think there’s a big opportunity out there-and for all of Atlanta-as the suburbs continue to grow.
DESIGNATED DIRONA RESTAURANTS IN GEORGIA
45 South at the Pirate’s House
20 E. Broad St.
Savannah, GA 31401
912-233-1881
Aqua Blue Restaurant & Bar
1564 Holcomb Bridge Road
Roswell, GA 30076
770-643-8886
Aria
490 East Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta, GA 30305
404-233-7673
Atlanta Grill at the Ritz-Carlton
181 Peachtree St. NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-659-0400
Bacchanalia
1198 Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA 30318404-365-0410
Bluepointe
3455 Peachtree Road at Lenox Road
Atlanta, GA 30326
404-237-9070
Bone’s Restaurant
3130 Piedmont Road
Atlanta, GA 30305
404-237-2663
Café Elan, Château Élan
7000 Old Winder Highway
Braselton, GA 30517
800-233-9463
Chops
70 West Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta, GA 30305
404-262-2675
Chopstix
4279 Roswell Road
Atlanta, GA 30342
404-255-4868
City Grill
50 Hurt Plaza, Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-524-2489
Elizabeth on 37th
105 E 37th St.
Savannah, GA 31401
912-236-5547
Hi Life Kitchen & Cocktails
Corners Court, 3380 Holcomb Bridge Road
Norcross, GA 30092
770-409-0101
Joel
3290 Northside Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30327
404-233-3500
La Grotta
2637 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30305
404-231-1368
Murphy’s
997 Virginia Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30306
404-872-0904
Nava
3060 Peachtree Road, #160
Atlanta, GA 30305
404-240-1984
Nikolai’s Roof
255 Courtland Street N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-221-6362
Pano’s and Paul’s
1232 West Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta, GA 30327
404-261-3662
Pricci
500 Pharr Road
Atlanta, GA 30305
404-237-2941
Rainwater
11655 Haynes Bridge Road
Alpharetta, GA 30004
770-777-0033
Sapphire Grill
110 W. Congress St.
Savannah, GA 31401
912-443-9962
South City Kitchen
1144 Crescent Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30309
404-873-7358
The Food Studio
87 West Marietta St.
Atlanta, GA 30318
404-815-6677
The Olde Pink House
23 Abercorn St.
Savannah, GA 31401
912-232-4286
Veni Vidi Vici
41 14th St.
Atlanta, GA 30309
404-875-8424
“There are so many great restaurants out there that there are very distinguished in their certain category.” -John Metz, Jr.
