MANHATTAN BEACH Calif. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
The first restaurant, a 40-seat venue called Simmzy’s with craft beers on draft and a playful surfer theme, was scheduled to open in early May in a prime location near the ocean in Manhattan Beach. In June, the 180-seat Tin Roof Bistro is scheduled to debut in a nearby shopping mall, featuring farmers market-driven but affordable American comfort foods. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
The “why casual?” and “why now?” questions can be explained, however, by 31-year-old Mike Simms’ genes. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
His father is Thomas Simms, 60, founder of the casual-dining Mimi’s Café chain, which he built to 81 units before selling it in 2004 to Columbus, Ohio-based Bob Evans Farms for $182 million. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
Mike’s older brother is Chris Simms, 34, founder of the casual-dining Lazy Dog Café chain in Southern California, which is scheduled to open its fourth location in July in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Chris is also involved in Simmzy’s, a nickname both brothers answered to in school. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
Their grandfather was Arthur Simms, now deceased, who once ran the MGM Studios commissary and developed several family-dining concepts, including the still-popular venues The Kettle in Manhattan Beach and The French Quarter in West Hollywood, Calif. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
Mike and Chris’s uncle Scott Simms, 58, Tom’s brother, is the primary partner in The Kettle and The French Quarter with Tom and other siblings. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
The family members hold a tangled net of partnerships in several concepts, which together generate about $25 million in revenue annually, by Tom’s estimate. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
Mike hopes to add to that with another $1 million in revenue from Simmzy’s in the first year, and an estimated $3.8 million with Tin Roof Bistro. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
Hitting the right note on value is key in today’s challenging climate, said Tom, who is also a partner in his sons’ restaurants. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
He should know. It was during the recession of the late 1970s that he began building Mimi’s Café. At the time, casual dining was in its infancy, and Mimi’s found a niche by bringing together the three-daypart elements of a coffeehouse and diner with a dinnerhouse menu at affordable prices. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
Under Tom’s leadership, Mimi’s grew into a regional powerhouse, eventually attracting the interests of Bob Evans, which at the time was looking to gain a foothold on the West Coast. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
Like most players in the industry, however, Mimi’s in recent months has struggled to maintain sales as consumers dine out less. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
For the third quarter ended Jan. 23, Mimi’s reported a same-store sales slide of 6.8 percent, despite a 2.7-percent increase in average menu prices. The Mimi’s chain now includes 140 locations in 23 states, though most are in California. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
Both Mike and Chris were able to fund their startups with the support of family and investors familiar with the Simmses’ legacy. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
In fact, the brothers each received from their father their own limited-liability corporations as Christmas gifts when they came of age. Just as Tom began Mimi’s under the SWH, or Simms Was Here, LLC, Chris was given the CWH, Chris Was Here, LLC, and Mike has the MWH, Mike Was Here, LLC. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
Both of the Simms brothers graduated from Cornell University’s hospitality program, and both eventually worked for Mimi’s—after spending some time working for restaurant companies outside of the family’s. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
Chris worked for Scottsdale, Ariz.-based P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, and Mike worked for four years as a manager at the trattoria Tra Vigné in St. Helena, Calif. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
The brothers concede that they haven’t had to reinvent the wheel in building the infrastructure for their respective companies. The family’s restaurants share back-of-the-house accounting, purchasing and other services. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
“At any opportunity that we’re able, we are taking advantage of economies of scale,” Chris said. “Vendors refer to us as Simms Restaurants, but we like to keep our separate identities.” —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
After his fourth Lazy Dog opens, Chris said location No. 5 is planned for Valencia, Calif. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
A casual-dining concept with a dog-theme decor, Lazy Dog’s American-bistro menu features burgers, sandwiches and specials such as “Camp Fire” pot roast with mashed potatoes and a ginger-soy salmon. Units are typically about 7,500 square feet with 250 seats. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
With an average ticket of $15, including lunch and dinner, the Lazy Dog Café concept has an average unit volume between $5 million and $6 million. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
Lazy Dog is positioned in the middle of the casual-dining segment, below upscale-casual operators like The Cheesecake Factory and Houston’s, but above “mass-casual” players like T.G.I. Friday’s and Chili’s, Chris said. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
Mike is aiming for the same positioning with the two newest ventures. Simmzy’s is designed to have a $15 average ticket at lunch and $20 at dinner. Tin Roof Bistro will aim slightly higher, with an average ticket of $18 at lunch and $30 to $35 at dinner, Mike said. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
Mike has brought in as partner and executive chef Anne Conness, previously the chef at Napa Valley Grille in Los Angeles, who developed the menu for both restaurants. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
Conness’ menu at Simmzy’s is designed to complement the concept’s 24 “craftsman-style” beers on draft from local brewers, as well as 10 to 20 bottled beers and a boutique wine list. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
Appetizers include the “bruschetta bar,” including grilled bread served with toppings like house-made tapenade; balsamic roasted shiitake mushrooms with “frizzled” shallots and fontina cheese; and candied bacon, dates, cream cheese and almonds. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
Tin Roof Bistro’s menu will offer Neapolitan-style pizzas made in a wood-burning oven. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
It’s too soon to say whether either Simmzy’s or the Tin Roof concept have legs, Mike said, but all of the Simmses hinted that there are more restaurants to come. —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
“Innovation never stops. You think about it all the time,” said Tom, who chuckled when asked if he considered himself retired. “Businesses have to evolve and new concepts have to be born. That’s what we like to do.” —Given the beating casual dining has taken in the current recession, one might wonder why Mike Simms decided to open not one, but two new casual-dining concepts here over the next few months.
