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Sitting laconically with his legs dangling over the edge of a yet-to-be unpacked cooler unit, describing his philosophy for restaurant management, Jeffrey Gates looks about as relaxed as can be. You have no idea that his new restaurant project Gaslight is only a few weeks away from completion and as he speaks the restaurant looks like a small bomb just blew up a Home Depot store.
I am sure that Jeff's partners in the Aquitaine Group are also as relaxed as Jeff is about progress, after all they have one of the best managers in the business on the job.
I first met Jeff when he was husbanding, the then new, Union Bar & Grille through its start up. When he is in restaurant manager mode you can bet that you won't get by him without at least a small lecture on some subject to do with his personal religion of service that literally exceeds expectation. On that day he told me about the way he trained and enabled his staff and the kinds of things that he felt should be included in a good restaurant experience. To be honest I had heard most of it before and, well you know. There are a lot of folks out there who speak a good game as it were, but ultimately fail to deliver on the night.
For whatever reason I wound up back at Union with a large family party celebrating my father-in-law's birthday. Jeff was not around so this very important meal was to be stewarded by his staff. We had a perfect meal, great food, fine wine and a couple of problems. What made it perfect was the almost magical way the staff dealt with our issues. No fuss, just swift and decisive resolution, politely offered and discretely completed. To be honest no one else noticed. Everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. I noticed though. This was a practical example of the way Jeff creates a restaurant team that works to deliver a complete experience from the second the valet opens the car door until the last moment when you leave the premises.
One of Jeff's theories, and he has many, is that restaurants should aim to open everyday with things in the same condition as they were on “day one”. Jeff recognizes that you can't control the customers and you have to adapt and manage the restaurant not the guests. “You try and ensure that every customer gets the same quality,” he says, “you want to motivate the staff to keep constantly on top of everything from the trash in the bathroom to the fingerprints on the front door.”
“Most people's time in a restaurant is spoiled by everything, but the food,” contends Jeff, “conversations that are not handled correctly, maybe not getting the seating that they want.” He views his job as creating the stage on which the meal is played out. He believes in leaving the cooking to the chef and concentrating on delivering the rest of that perfect dining experience.
Does it work? Sure it does. Spend an hour or two in one of Jeff's restaurants and listen to the staff talking to customers. They have an attitude, but not the normal less-than-interested attitude of many restaurant staff. Each conversation is conducted with one goal in mind - making the customer happy. Whether it is the way they explain to guests that the restaurant is full and the then surprising offer to try and get the guest a table in a competitor's establishment, or the swift and smooth transition from the lobby to table without the usual wait by the hostess station.
“I view our ability to deliver a superior experience as a true competitive advantage.” he said. “I often hear young restaurateurs saying that they are going to provide the best food and service,” he continues, “but that's just not enough - the hospitality game is played at a higher level these days.”
This edge comes in part from Jeff's pre-meal meetings. These are a quintessential demonstration of his approach. He role plays scenarios with his staff and tests their knowledge of the wines and menu. I have been to many of these meetings in other establishments. Most are nothing more than a mumbled list of things to remember. When Jeff does it, I suspect that the Patriots' coaches could pick up a pointer or two on how to motivate a team. And that's it! He's like a coach! Setting high standards and encouraging or cajoling his players to achieve those standards.
When it comes to hiring, Jeff has an interesting angle. “My process of staffing is to look for people who are as excited about what we do as I am.” He continues, “I am not in the business of trying to convert people or mining for staff, I want people who instinctively share my philosophy.”
He believes ardently in spreading his approach to anyone who will listen. His wife chides him as he drives around his home town of Newton. “She asks me 'why are you slowing down and letting that car out - there's nobody behind us?',” Jeff recounts, “I am trying to spread a virus of politeness in Newton. Everyone is rushing to have a heart attack. We need to slow down and be a bit more hospitable.” He believes that everyone is in a such a hurry and over-scheduled. “I think people look on going out to dinner as an oasis.” he continued “Folks get a rare chance to sit down and relax. Restaurants can do that, put people at ease and let them enjoy one of the most basic of human activities, eating.”
Jeff admires a number of the movers and shakers in the Boston area. Steve DiFillipo and Michael Schlow are among this select group of folks he describes as “casually perfect”. What Jeff seems not to recognize is that he too is a “casually perfect” manager - intelligent, focused and a great communicator. Whatever he and the Aquitaine Group get up to, Jeff will bring his extraordinary professionalism to bear and polish each property to near perfection.
Jeff's probably very hard to work for, unless that is, you also want to be the best at what you do, then he's your advocate and cheerleader - back to the coach thing again. Jeff started his career in the restaurant industry as a dishwasher, right now he is at the top of his game. Perhaps fixing the rude drivers in Newton is a great way for him to take casual perfection beyond the walls of a restaurant - I wish him well.
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Industry Luminary 
