Page 79 - The New Gold Standard
P. 79
Be Relevant
Bar, richly appointed with honey onyx, formal and elegant din-
ing areas, or the option to have a relaxed dinner beneath rawhide
chandeliers in an area near Dean’s kitchen. In essence, Dean Fear-
ing’s willingness to reach out to leadership at the Ritz-Carlton
allowed both Dean and the hotel company to produce a concept
that not only made both brands maximally relevant to their cus-
tomers but also offered a significant benefit to the Dallas/Fort
Worth area.
Simon adds, “I look at that restaurant today with amaze-
ment as Dean helped us refine our focus, so much so that we had
to have police control the crowds when it opened. The restau-
rant did a million dollars in business in its first month. Dean’s
restaurant is the talk of Dallas. The Ladies and Gentlemen of
Ritz-Carlton operate it with Dean, and they do so without wait-
ing for the guest in room 605 to make a reservation. They are
filling the restaurant every night regardless of the occupancy rate
in the hotel. The restaurant makes us a destination in that com-
munity.”
Dean Fearing acknowledges that he had a perception of
Ritz-Carlton that caused him some hesitation in presenting his
restaurant concept. “When my business partner and I thought
about suggesting our ‘no rules and bold flavors’ restaurant to
Ritz-Carlton, we thought we might find some resistance. We
knew they were committed to excellence, but we didn’t know if
they would go for a restaurant with no dress code and the ability
to eat wherever you want, including the bar. Ritz-Carlton worked
with us every step of the way, and what we created was some-
thing that transcends anything I could have imagined.”
Whether a business expands to an adjacent town or to a for-
eign country, the relevance of the company to the new commu-
nity is always at issue because customer needs often vary from
one location to the next. Given its rapid international expansion,
Ritz-Carlton leadership is challenged with refining its products
and services to the needs of clientele from Boston to Beijing and
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