WEBVTT - Chef Daniel Boulud on Return of Indoor Dining in NYC

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<v Speaker 1>This is Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Masser and Jason

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<v Speaker 1>Kelly on Bloomberg Radio. And Jason and I've been talking

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<v Speaker 1>about it's a big week for New York City restaurants.

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<v Speaker 1>They've been shut down because of the pandemic. While they

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<v Speaker 1>were allowed to reopen indoor dining it started yesterday. Some

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<v Speaker 1>restrictions though on capacity, and we've talked about this with

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<v Speaker 1>our food editor Kate Crater, writing that for many restaurants

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<v Speaker 1>it's still going to be a bit of a struggle.

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<v Speaker 1>So someone Kate knows very well and a familiar voice

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<v Speaker 1>to our listeners. He has found time often to join

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<v Speaker 1>us through the pandemic, which we greatly appreciate. Back with

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<v Speaker 1>us as chef and restaurant tour Danielle Blue, He joins

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<v Speaker 1>us on the phone in New York City. Danielle, it

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<v Speaker 1>is so nice to be back with you. Yeah, Hi,

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<v Speaker 1>how are you and and what does this reopening mean

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<v Speaker 1>for you? Well, thank you for having me and this opening.

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<v Speaker 1>This reopening in New York means so much because we

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<v Speaker 1>have been stunned for eight months with no restaurants inside it.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks God, the city open up the streets and gave

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<v Speaker 1>the opportunity to have a sidewalk cafe. We did our

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<v Speaker 1>best with that at the restaurant, Danielle with daniel Bully

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<v Speaker 1>Kitchen and the reopening inside. I felt that I wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to also try to set up a mood which was

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<v Speaker 1>maybe a little different, a little more disrupting, and and

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<v Speaker 1>and maybe a theme where I didn't get a chance

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<v Speaker 1>to go to the South of France this summer, and

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<v Speaker 1>every year I go to France, and I always go

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<v Speaker 1>to the South of France. But Sola's many, many Americans,

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<v Speaker 1>and you know, destination vacations the mediterrane always make people dream.

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<v Speaker 1>So I felt that I should do a restaurant who

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<v Speaker 1>expressed a little bit of a journey to the Mediterrane

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<v Speaker 1>through the flavor of the dishes and through the mood

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<v Speaker 1>of the restaurant. So we transformed the restaurant into Buris

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<v Speaker 1>Bully by the Sea as my last name. I love it.

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<v Speaker 1>I love it, I love it, and so Danielle, I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>what's been so interesting in sort of keeping up with

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<v Speaker 1>you throughout this is that this has obviously challenged you

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<v Speaker 1>as as a chef and in many ways, but it's

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<v Speaker 1>really challenged you. I feel like as a businessman in

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<v Speaker 1>many ways and as a manager of your people. So

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<v Speaker 1>tell us about some of the sort of key decisions

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<v Speaker 1>that you felt like you had to make for your business.

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<v Speaker 1>Of course, I mean that we'll all locked down, and

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<v Speaker 1>all my colleague lockdown. Little by little, we started initiative

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<v Speaker 1>to bring back our staff and UM about the months

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<v Speaker 1>and a half after lockdown, we started the Food First Foundation,

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<v Speaker 1>an initiative with sl Green, my new partner in a

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<v Speaker 1>new restaurant, Pavillon at one Vanderbilt, and he wanted to

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<v Speaker 1>really help me start to make meals for New Yorkers

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<v Speaker 1>and bring back some of my staff in the kitchen.

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<v Speaker 1>But he also wanted to help many of his tenants

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<v Speaker 1>around town to be able to reopen their kitchen and

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<v Speaker 1>support their tenants through UH Food First. And today we

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<v Speaker 1>have distributed almost four meals gifted to many many charity

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<v Speaker 1>including City Mill on Wheel and UH in New York

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<v Speaker 1>and World Central Kitchen at the beginning of our mission,

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<v Speaker 1>and and Barry Barry mission as well, and and they

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<v Speaker 1>were I think that was the first initiative. Then from

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<v Speaker 1>that we did the take out at restaurant Danielle and

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<v Speaker 1>then we opened the Terraus at Babu and Danielle and

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<v Speaker 1>UH through daniel Bully Kitchen, UH takeout division as well,

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<v Speaker 1>and today we are opened inside and it felt very

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<v Speaker 1>good last night. I feel that people are still a

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<v Speaker 1>little anxious and there's a mix of anxiety and excitement

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<v Speaker 1>and for us as reopening inside, but at the same

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<v Speaker 1>time we make sure and you know, it gave us

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<v Speaker 1>a chance to bring back more staff. So fifty employees

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<v Speaker 1>we had we had now up to plus and that's

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<v Speaker 1>really growing. So it's good. It's a good sign. And

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<v Speaker 1>we haven't reopened all our restaurant only you know, the

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<v Speaker 1>West Side Barbau and Danielle and Danielle, let's talk about

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<v Speaker 1>New York City and specifically Midtown if we can, Carol

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<v Speaker 1>and I in normal world in the before times, we

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<v Speaker 1>went to Midtown Manhattan literally every day we would do

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<v Speaker 1>our show from there. We were denizens of that, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>into the evening and so many people who we know

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<v Speaker 1>are like that. What is Midtown like now? What do

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<v Speaker 1>you expect it's going to be like over the next

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<v Speaker 1>six to nine to twelve months. Well, I think over

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<v Speaker 1>the next six months it will improve us. I think

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<v Speaker 1>many institutions, UH Bank and other institutions of maybe mad

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<v Speaker 1>they stuff to stay home until the end of the

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<v Speaker 1>year and coming back in January. So some of the

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<v Speaker 1>company I've already bring back, brought back staff on on

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<v Speaker 1>alternative schedule. Now, I mean, of course New York will

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<v Speaker 1>come back New York. It's evident. And some people may

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<v Speaker 1>have lost their job, lost stability in New York and

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<v Speaker 1>had to live town. But for the most part, the

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<v Speaker 1>town might be a little deprived right now of its worker,

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<v Speaker 1>but they're gonna have to come back to work because

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<v Speaker 1>no company can run at a distance like this forever.

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<v Speaker 1>And um, I believe that you know, by spring, even

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<v Speaker 1>after the holiday, New York shill come back strong. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>we feel that there's a lot of New Yorker back,

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<v Speaker 1>but they they come back, they go back and forth.

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<v Speaker 1>Right now, we feel and I am positive, New York

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<v Speaker 1>City is New York City, and I think it will

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<v Speaker 1>take more than COVID to make it really a challenge city.

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<v Speaker 1>But we have we have a restaurant Midtown and because

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<v Speaker 1>of Broadway, we if we don't have the culture, if

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<v Speaker 1>we don't have the art, if we don't have the tourists,

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<v Speaker 1>it's abused and the Town is also suffering, and so

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<v Speaker 1>hospitality in general hotels and restaurants are suffering. And um,

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<v Speaker 1>and we need also the workers back to really have

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<v Speaker 1>this life during lunch midtown. So I am positive we're

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<v Speaker 1>opening a restaurant in Midtown at forty second and one

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<v Speaker 1>Vanderbilt next year. Is that pavilion the pavilion, And I'm

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<v Speaker 1>positive that, you know, it will be a good time

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<v Speaker 1>to open a restaurant in the spring of twenty one.

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<v Speaker 1>And at the same time, we have taken all the

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<v Speaker 1>measure possible to make sure that people feel them they

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<v Speaker 1>are in a very safe environment. And um, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>it's has been m Daniel right for most let me

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<v Speaker 1>ask you, because I can't tell you how many people

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<v Speaker 1>we have come on in. Even real estate guys are like,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, it's like everybody's leaving New York City, everybody's

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<v Speaker 1>leaving these major cities and so and so forth. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>I've been in New York City a long time too,

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<v Speaker 1>and I've heard the demise of the big cities over

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<v Speaker 1>and over again. How do you see it? I see it,

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<v Speaker 1>And a lot of people, as I said, feel very

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<v Speaker 1>stressed right now. And I feel comfortable being out but

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<v Speaker 1>they're gonna be so bored and so missing out with

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<v Speaker 1>everything that I think they'll be back to New York.

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<v Speaker 1>And you know, I'm a New Yorker at art and

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<v Speaker 1>if I'm going to leave the city, where am I

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<v Speaker 1>going to go back to France in my small village. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know. But I'm also been a New Yorker

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<v Speaker 1>involved with the community and involved with my profession and

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<v Speaker 1>having an a credible support from our customer and we

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<v Speaker 1>still feel it, we still get it. I mean, our

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<v Speaker 1>customers are so positive and so happy that we are

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<v Speaker 1>here and we are continuing, and I can see I

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<v Speaker 1>can see them coming back all the time. Are they

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<v Speaker 1>going to spend as much time in New York City

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<v Speaker 1>and they used to? Maybe less, but they still come

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<v Speaker 1>back and support us. And so, Danielle, what is something

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<v Speaker 1>like this due to the next generation of chefs coming up?

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<v Speaker 1>You know, I mean you have seen so many promising

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<v Speaker 1>chefs sort of come through your kitchens and the kitchens

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<v Speaker 1>of your friends. I do wonder about this next generation

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<v Speaker 1>and how they will adapt and what advice you might

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<v Speaker 1>be giving them. And and many young chefs left me

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<v Speaker 1>to go to smaller city around the country, UM. It

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<v Speaker 1>has been struggling challenge for them to wherever they are

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<v Speaker 1>UH in UM in Minnesota, in California, or in UH

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<v Speaker 1>in Florida or other part Texas. It's it's not easy

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<v Speaker 1>to UM. It's not easy to start a business. And

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<v Speaker 1>then too you know when you when you start your

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<v Speaker 1>new place, you have that you have you you might

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<v Speaker 1>do very well, but you have to pay back the investment.

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<v Speaker 1>And I think for younger for young chef who want

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<v Speaker 1>to start a business, what's important is to not be

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<v Speaker 1>in debt to the point where they can never pay

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<v Speaker 1>back or lose their business. Now for young chef learning

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<v Speaker 1>to cook, I think UM there's there's going to be

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<v Speaker 1>opportunity in the food business, maybe different than what they envision.

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<v Speaker 1>But for me, we have been very creative at expanding

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<v Speaker 1>into other directions in in the food world, such as

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<v Speaker 1>UH national distribution with Gold Belly of daniel Bury Kitchen

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<v Speaker 1>for dishes for home, so that brought me gave me

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<v Speaker 1>a chance to bring more staff. We do also the

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<v Speaker 1>takeout in New York City with daniel Bury Kitchen and

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<v Speaker 1>that brought me more staff. And UM expanding into catering.

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<v Speaker 1>More catering, I have a catering company, but we're expanding

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<v Speaker 1>into more services like that, and so I think we

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<v Speaker 1>tried to stay very creative, very engaged with opportunity that

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<v Speaker 1>maybe needed right now and make change later. But I

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<v Speaker 1>think for young chef it's important to find a good

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<v Speaker 1>house and to also try to work for the community

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<v Speaker 1>as well. A lot of young chef was doing a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of good things for charities and they were getting paid,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, maybe a low pay, but at least you

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<v Speaker 1>felt very rewarded. And through um for example, Food First Foundation,

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<v Speaker 1>it has gave me a chance to have twelve chef

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<v Speaker 1>working full time just for the charity. And I think

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<v Speaker 1>that is very important everybody. Everybody understands that being part

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<v Speaker 1>of a company is being part of all it's uh

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<v Speaker 1>endeavors and ambition. Well, I have to say, and and

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<v Speaker 1>it's pretty impressive with all the stresses that you guys

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<v Speaker 1>were dealing with and with your workers, yet you still

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<v Speaker 1>thought about the community and feeding the community, especially when

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<v Speaker 1>New York was in such a tough way, and whether

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<v Speaker 1>it was feeding healthcare workers or feeding people who did

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<v Speaker 1>not have money to put food on their table. So um,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, you guys have been incredible Danielle. Thank you

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<v Speaker 1>so much, Danielle Blue Chef and Restaurant Tour, joining us

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<v Speaker 1>of course, on the phone from New York City. New

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<v Speaker 1>York City restaurants, folks, they're open. You can go inside

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<v Speaker 1>any