Scott Slater, founder and president of the Slater’s 50/50 burger chain, will launch next month in San Diego a second concept called S&M Sausage and Meat.
Described as “an eclectic meatery,” S&M will take a deeper dive into the meat world with a somewhat experimental focus on exotic game, from the familiar, like venison, to the unexpected, such as beaver tacos.
Like Slater’s, which is known for its creative use of bacon from the drink menu to dessert, S&M is designed to push the envelope.
“This will be a real radical punch-in-the-face concept, unapologetic and aggressive, while still being approachable,” Slater said.
With a logo that evokes a dead pig, Slater expects some hate mail. His goal, however, is not to provoke but to tap into what he sees as a growing spirit of adventure in the food world.
“Before, it was, ‘Hey, I’m hungry, let’s go to Olive Garden,’” Slater said. “Now you go to a restaurant because you want an experience. You want to Instagram things to your friends and say you’re eating something cool. It’s social. It’s experimental.”
The menu at S&M will feature a platform of sausages and house-smoked bacon with unusual flavors, such as Sriracha bacon, along with housemade charcuterie and sauces.
The menu will change often depending on the availability of the various meats, and the format will be small, shareable plates.
A full bar, dubbed the Swine Bar, will feature craft beers and a cocktail menu with a “four S” theme: savory, salty, smoky and spicy — but decidedly not sweet, Slater said.
A market will also sell sausages, bacon and bottled sauces for customers to cook at home.
The restaurant service will borrow elements from the fast-casual and full-service segments, Slater said.
Guests will place their first order at the counter, or concierge desk, and make selections from a digital menu. Once they sit, their tab will remain open.
“People are going to want to order more,” Slater said.
On the table, guests will find a flip board with white, green, black and brown cards. The white card signals to the server that the guests need to be greeted and started off with drinks.
Guests will be instructed to flip to a green card if they need something. Black means, “Scram, I’m enjoying my food, leave me alone,” Slater said. And brown means, “Get my check.”
“It’s an interactive dining experience,” he said.
The average ticket will fall between $17 and $20 at dinner, Slater said. Exotic meats tend to be pricier, so sausages will likely range between $6 to $14, and shared-plate items will range from smoked nuts for $2 to lamb chop lollipops for $18.
Slater said he has designed the 3,500-square-foot restaurant with growth in mind.
A second concession version of the concept is slated to open in a former shipping container in December in downtown San Diego’s soon-to-debut “Quartyard Project” urban development zone, which will feature a collection of art galleries, a coffee shop, a dog park and rotating food trucks.
The S&M unit there will feature a limited menu of sausages, sandwiches and beer, Slater said.
Meanwhile, the company will continue to grow the seven-unit Slater’s 50/50 concept.
Two to three units are scheduled to open in 2015, including the first in the San Francisco Bay area next summer.
San Diego-based Slater’s 50/50 won a Nation’s Restaurant News Hot Concept award this year.
Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].
Follow her on Twitter: @livetodineout
