Dear Friends and Family,
This year has been a whirlwind for us all, and as someone who has spent his life investing and working in the restaurant industry, I can definitively say that this is the most difficult time in the history of the hospitality industry. As the 2020 Chair of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, you could say this was not at all how I expected the year to begin. However, diamonds cannot be made without a little bit of pressure, and rather than resisting the new process, I have allowed this pandemic to shape how my plans continue to unfold.
As I’ve said before, my goal is to hold ownership in ten restaurants, and I am continuing forward towards that goal. I’m proud to announce that my wife Michelle and I have joined Kiva Guidroz and his wife Candice, to become co-owners of the three Portobello’s Grill locations in Baton Rouge (Bocage, George O'Neal, and Plaquemine) as well as P-Beau’s in Denham Springs.
At first, through Down South Hospitality, I was serving as a consultant, but much like with Phil’s Oyster Bar and Restaurant Systems Pro, a restaurant software company based in Phoenix, Arizona, I felt that Kiva, his goals, and his values presented a great opportunity for me to expand my restaurant portfolio. As I reach the halfway point of my ten restaurant goal, the one thing I’ve realized more than ever is the value of the local community. These restaurants are all so focused on their neighbors living nearby. Phil’s Oyster Bar continues its success, and we are constantly tweaking the menu and experience to best serve our guests. Nothing is changing there.
I am very excited to reenvision these restaurants, starting with the Bocage location of Portobello’s Grill. The restaurants’ temporary closures caused by COVID-19 gave us an opportunity to make much-needed renovations to the Bocage location, where we have been working hard to create a “modern neighborhood steakhouse” feel.
We have completely renovated all aspects of the restaurant from top to bottom, which includes a new menu, full interior renovation, and a complete rebrand. It’s a whole new restaurant. For the menu, we’re focusing on Louisiana inspired cuisine. As I’ve been working on the operations, menus, and execution, Kiva has led the redesign, and it’s nothing short of spectacular. Portobello’s has been a brand throughout Baton Rouge for over two decades, and it’s getting a much-needed update. We have a steakhouse feel, but without pretense reserved for only special occasions. To start, we’ll be open for dinner only and Sunday brunch. Lunch and private dining will be coming on at a later day. You can learn more at PortobellosBocage.com.
The original Portobello’s motto, “Every guest. Every plate. Every day.” will continue to be our driving force as we aim to become a local spot where our community dines in for a business lunch, happy hour, special occasion, or anything in between. These changes will only be applied to the Bocage location for now, as we are using it as our pilot.
In addition to these changes, we are also assembling an all-star team. We have hired a new general manager, Kerry Kelley. She has two decades of restaurant management experience from Napa, CA, to spending nearly ten years in New Orleans as General Manager at BRG Hospitality Group, specifically overseeing the restaurants Domenica, Luke (New Orleans and San Antonio), and La Provence. Additionally, we have hired a new Chef de Cuisine Jourdan Fulbright with experience from James Beard Award-Winning Gautreau’s in New Orleans, and most recently, Rocca and Cocha in Baton Rouge.
My wish is to work alongside the community that has come to love these establishments to make improvements where necessary. The people are what make this such a dream—people like my partner Anthony Piazza at Phil’s and now Kiva at Portobello’s. I couldn’t be happier to be working alongside partners that have an insatiable appetite for serving their communities.
We want Portobello’s and P-Beau’s to be home to any event in your lives. We’ve built a space that is fitting for any of life’s special moments. Additionally, considering the recent state of the restaurant industry, we want to make our visitors as comfortable as possible, so we will continue to offer online ordering, delivery, and contactless pick-up.
I am excited to announce that the newly renovated Portobello’s location at Bocage will be opening on Monday, June 15, and you can click here to make a reservation. We can’t wait to hear your feedback on the changes we’ve made to create an unforgettable dining experience for you and yours.
Cheers,
Peter Sclafani
