Joachim Splichal: Mammoth Mountain Mogul

By JULIETTE ROSSANT One of the characteristics that sets Super Chefs apart from other chefs is that they are constantly looking for new areas to grow. That could be new media, endorsements, or putting their restaurants in new venues. Wolfgang Puck expanded what Super Chefs do by opening up in Las Vegas, which had been the reserve of cheap buffets. Charlie Palmer expanded by buying or partnering with suppliers, and he did it later by investing in hotels (in Las Vegas and Healdsburg). Tom Colicchio, among others, has done it by moving into the fast casual areas by opening up sandwich shops. (see Super Chef for a discussion of each of these career moves) Joachim Splichal and his Patina Group innovated by first selling the company to Restaurant Associates (RA) and the Compass Group in 1999 for a reported $40 million, and then, with Nick Valenti, buying back the Patina Group in 2006 and expanding further. His new partnership with Mammoth Mountain Ski Area is yet another sign that Joachim continues to push the possibilities of what Super Chef can do. The deal, announced last week, covers all the food service operations at Mammoth, from fine dining to casual dining. The press release claims that: "The partnership is the first of its kind in the ski industry." From cruise lines to golf course to hotel casinos and now ski resorts, chefs are finding opportunities for improving food and adding to the tourism bottom line. Super Chef spoke to Patrick Casey, director of operation for the Patina Group to get further insight. Super Chef: How big a step is this for the Patina Group? Patrick Casey: In the last 8-10 years Patina got involved with local venues similar to Mamoth, including broad spectrum of venues. It's Joachim's passion for food; it is our client base - Southern California. We have division for Sports and Entertainment. Mammoth fell well in the scale of what we have done in the past. Food at a ski area is similar. Super Chef: For someone not familiar with Mammoth, how important is it? Patrick Casey: It is about a five and a half hour from LA to Mammoth. Mammoth is one of the top skiing areas nationwide, but it has never been in the top five for great food. It will be one of the top trendsetters in the ski industry. Super Chef: How did this deal come about? Patrick Casey: Rusty [Gregory, Chairman and CEO of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area] had a relationship with Joachim. Joachim is a big skier. The agreed that the food wasn't good enough, they agreed upon the philosophy that food had to be as good as the resort. They signed contract this past November – we were on the ground two days later. There wasn't ample time to make a huge impact for the season. We worked on the foundations, build for the next five years, maintained the F & B team on site, then we brought in more people. We focused on education on what we do, how the food can be different. The biggest focus this past year was making more aesthetic changes and upgrading food products. We've changed to using 100% sirloin versus chuck, organic lettuce, and fresh vegetables. We improved the product this year, and then this second year you'll see more Patina impact. Patrick explained that there are two fine dining restaurants, plenty of grills, food courts, cafes and casual dining options in the lodges and various areas of Mammoth Mountain. The grill restaurants are very popular, as are the food courts. Previously, food was cooked and held for service. Patina has changed to make everything cook and serve, while still getting everyone back to the slopes quickly. Mammoth Mountain is a four-season resort. One of the lures for Patina is the opportunity in corporate catering during the warmer seasons. Patina's connections in the catering business in Southern California make it a formidable partner for Mammoth. Super Chef predicts that more ski resorts will follow Mammoth lead and partner with celebrity chefs to upgrade all food service, not just their fine dining restaurant. Wolfgang Puck already opened a Spago at Ritz Carlton Bachelor's Gulch (see story) early this year, where there are other celebrity chef restaurants. All this is good news for hungry skiers. Previous articles: Joachim Splichal Takes Smith & Wollensky Wall Street Journal: Beef Over Chef Sponsorship Joachim Splichal Feeds Fleet of Foot Nick Valenti: Super Chef Master? Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to Super Chef