Less than year into his role as president of Maggiano’s Little Italy concept, the 50-unit division of Brinker International Inc., Dominique Bertolone is seeking to “democratize luxury” at the brand.
Bertolone was named president last December of Maggiano’s, the upscale Italian sibling to Dallas-based Chili’s Grill & Bar, and introduced a new theatrical cocktail program in May as well as a sommelier. He’s borrowing a few pages from the playbook at MGM Resorts International in Las Vegas, Nev., where he formerly served as head of food and beverage.
“When I started with the Maggiano brand, which is now eight months ago, the first thing I did, I went on a listening tour,” Bertolone said. “It was very important for me to hear from our teammates and to really hear from our guests.
“Our guests were looking for unique experiences, creating moments, something that they will get surprised,” he said. “We wanted to make them feel special. That's really what I heard from our employees and from our guests. Today, it's not only about food and beverage;, it's about the overall experience.”
Maggiano’s upgraded its cocktail program and an Old-Fashioned, served in a glass case with oak smoke, quickly became a No. 1 seller, he said.
“I think the Old-Fashioned is a great example,” Bertolone said. “You have this beautiful Fashioned in a smoked box that goes to the table that you open in front of the guests. That makes them feel special. It's unique. It's different. And as soon as we launched the program, that cocktail became our No. 1 seller because it hit what our guests were looking for.”
Maggiano’s also partnered with a master sommelier, Jason Smith, to create a wine-by-the-glass program, Bertolone said.
“He created six wines by the glass that you cannot find everywhere,” he said. “On top of that, to really get to the next level, we crafted a partnership with Salvatore Ferragamo.”
The Italian designer’s wines “create an experience for our guests that they are going to remember,” Bertolone said.
Maggiano’s extended the journey earlier this month by elevating its cuisine, tapping Anthony Amoroso of “Iron Chef America” to consult on the menu.
“You are going to see classic Italian American dishes done with a little theatrical piece,” Bertolone said. “We introduce the veal parmesan dish that is being cut tableside. We have our homemade Caesar salad, that I like to call the chef's signature Caesar salad, that we finish with the parmesan cheese at the table, and we introduce what I like to call a favorite Italian American dish, which is a rigatoni alla vodka that I'm pleased to say is doing extremely well.”
The new menu was introduced systemwide on Sept. 19.
“I like to say we are looking at the past to elevate the future,” Bertolone said. “What we're trying to do is democratize luxury.”
An added advantage of the elevated program is the impact on staff members, he added, who also share the joy. The company is also upgrading the service-ware and providing sharable items such as antipasto boards.
“It's about creating the moments for our guests that when they leave, they're going to remember and they're going to tell their friends and their family,” Bertolone said.
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