Foxwoods: Michael Schlow Trophy

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Business-minded chefs read the news beyond the food pages. For instance, delays and cancellations on America's airlines have reached new heights. More Americans are traveling, but there are fewer seats available as airlines cut back on personnel. What does that mean for a smart chef? It means that if the base of your customers are local - say the Boston area - but you want to expand and take advantage of the boom in casino hotel dining, you had better consider options closer than Las Vegas or the Gulf Coast. That may be the thinking behind the announcement that Michael Schlow, one of Boston's hot chefs, is opening a knock-off of his restaurant Alta Strada at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods in Connecticut. The new 8,000 square foot, 225-seat restaurant, scheduled to open in the spring of 2008, also means that Michael now has a relationship with a gaming company with casino properties in four states and Macau. He'll join fellow celebrity chefs like Todd English, Bobby Flay and Michael Mina who have opened restaurants at different MGM locations. Todd followed the same strategy earlier in his career from his base in Boston. He wanted to open in New York, so he first opened and proved himself in Aspen at the St Regis and then followed up with the same hotel company in New York, with Olives at the W Hotel (see Super Chef, pp. 106-110). Does Michael have his eye on a bigger prize – more casino hotel locations? Another reason for choosing Foxwoods is that perhaps Michael believes Las Vegas is saturated with celebrity chef restaurant. If that is the case, might we see Michael taking steps south to Atlantic City and then the Gulf Coast? More following Todd, who recently opened at the Beau Rivage? Press release: Foxwoods Resort Casino Previous articles: Puck + Mina Do Detroit: Naming Names Charlie Trotter: Hotel Magic Todd English: Beau Rivage Michael Schlow: It's About Time Todd English's Foodie Hotel Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to Super Chef