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BEYOND JAM: Bill Levine sees the evolution of Sarabeth’s Kitchen from jam shop to gourmet-food brand as “just putting one foot in front of the other.” From Crain's New York Business Magazine Gourmet food maker cooks up new productsBy Elizabeth MacBride Stuck at the top of Bill Levine's to-do list for the past few months has been figuring out how to deliver tomato soup to his customers. The intricacies of frozen-food packaging and delivery are no cakewalk, but Mr. Levine, who along with his wife, Sarabeth, owns Sarabeth's Kitchen in Hunts Point, Bronx, figures it's time for the longtime food manufacturer to expand—again. The soup is just the latest step in the company's 28-year evolution from a jam-and-jelly shop to one of the city's top gourmet-food brands. Sarabeth's started with jams, later began delivering its food through restaurants in addition to grocery stores, expanded to baked goods, and now is adding the soup to its product mix, its first foray into prepackaged meals. Chef's clothing is next. Mr. Levine thinks of this progression as “just putting one foot in front of the other.” Small business experts like Ira Davidson say that it's an example of a company's ability to expand into different market niches—crucial to succeeding in this or any other economic environment. “Small businesses aren't going to be able to compete on price, or access to real estate or professionals, or anything else,” says Mr. Davidson, director of the Pace University Small Business Development Center. “What they have is the ability to exploit a market niche fast.” He recommends small businesses either find new customers for their existing products or—more along the lines of what Sarabeth's has done—sell new products and services to existing customers. “Must be fearless” The key to Sarabeth's brand was discovering long before others that New Yorkers, for all their city slickness, crave food that brings to mind the taste and atmosphere of country kitchens. At their first storefront, opened soon after the company was founded in 1981, the Levines made jam in front of customers, using Sarabeth Levine's family recipe. An important turning point came when the company ventured into restaurants. Making that leap, to what is essentially a different distribution model, is unusual, observes Mr. Davidson. “That guy must be fearless,” he says of Mr. Levine. Sarabeth's, which has about 75 employees, runs two of its own restaurants and licenses four more. Eight licensed eateries are slated to open in Lord & Taylor stores by the end of 2010—the first debuted at the Fifth Avenue department store in November. The manufacturing operation supplies food to the restaurants, which should mean further sales expansions as more restaurants open. Total revenue for the brand was $22 million last year, up 10% over 2007. The restaurants also gave the Levines the idea for selling the soup. Many customers have asked for the recipe over the years. “Tomato soup is almost iconic in our restaurants,” Mr. Levine says. “Twenty-eight years we've been serving that tomato soup.”  PRESS RELEASE   LORD & TAYLOR ENTERS AGREEMENT WITH SARABETH’S KITCHEN New York, May 13, 2008. Lord & Taylor announces today it has entered into an agreement with Sarabeth’s Kitchen to operate its restaurants. Over the next 24 months, all restaurants at Lord & Taylor stores will convert to “Sarabeth’s” restaurants. A grand opening is slated for Fall 2008 in the Fifth Avenue flagship with others scheduled to follow in Lord & Taylor branches. Jane Elfers, Lord & Taylor’s President and CEO said: “This partnership represents perfect synergy for our brand. The high quality product and upscale service Sarabeth’s offers, is a perfect complement to our commitment to enhancing Lord & Taylor’s in-store services and amenities.” Lord & Taylor has created news in the fashion industry with an on-going branding campaign. Aimed to project the Lord & Taylor’s unapologetically classic style revamped for the 21st century, the campaign showcases the results of the ambitious strategic initiatives established by Elfers to reposition the store. QUOTE FROM SARABETH: Sarabeth says: “We are delighted to have been selected to be part of the Lord & Taylor family of brands and we will do our utmost to provide a great dining experience for the stores’ customers.” Sarabeth’s Kitchen, was founded by Sarabeth Levine who, in 1980, began making and selling her Orange-Apricot Marmalade from an old family recipe, opening her first retail shop and bakery in 1981. The following year Sarabeth expanded her line of jams, preserves and baked products and began serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Currently, there are 4 “Sarabeth’s” restaurants in New York City, including one at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Sarabeth’s Bakery and café expanded its wholesale and retail operations by moving to the Chelsea Market in 1998. In 2005, the first Sarabeth’s, outside of New York City, opened in Key West, Florida. About Lord & Taylor: New Sarabeth's locationSarabeth's restaurant in Key West opened on July 15, 2005. Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch and Dinner is now being served. See Press Release below and click on Restaurant icon for further information. Another accoladeamNY's "Best of New York" Guide, Oct.22-24 named Sarabeth's "Top Breakfast Place" based on a reader website survey. Sarabeth's Key West opens!For Immediate Release: A New Classic in Old Key West Sarabeth and Bill Levine announced today that they have opened their first restaurant outside of New York City, in Key West, Florida. The restaurant opened on July 15th, 2005. With the experienced team of Sarabeth's New York City General Manager of 15 years, David Case as co-owner, and Eric Aguilar, formerly the Chef of Sarabeth's at the Whitney, as Chef, continuity of recipes and quality is assured. Sarabeth's new home is in an impressive 19th century clapboard historic landmark in Old Town. Having undergone an extensive renovation and redecoration by Key West Interior Stylist Victoria Lesser, this handsome and historic site served both as a private home and as the original and only synagogue on the island for a half-century. At 49 seats, the new restaurant has both indoor and garden dining areas. Without Sarabeth's traditional bakery counter, Mr. Case focuses on the classic Sarabeth recipes, selling, as well, her line of internationally known "Legendary Spreadable Fruit" and cereals. Sarabeth's signature baked products, including her pumpkin muffins and scones are prepared and baked fresh daily. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner is served. There is a Beer and Wine License. The design of the space incorporates 120 year old features such as the original pine floors and volume sanctuary ceiling, as well as new clean crisp lines with bright colors, bold fabrics, lazy ceiling fans and abundant light. The Garden Dining is accompanied by trickling water features, pergola and broad-leafed palms. It seems a natural, as Mr. Case was brought up seasonally in the Keys, and his family still lives on Key Colony. The active restaurant scene and the Arts community were a draw for Mr. Case and Sarabeth, while Bill Levine looks forward to taking an occasional break from marketing Sarabeth's products by golfing in the sunshine of Key West. "What could be sweeter", Sarabeth said, " Sarabeth's in Paradise!" Contact: David Case 305-293-8181 or BEST FOR BRUNCHAOL'S survey of the best brunch places in New York ranks Sarabeth's 2nd behind top ranked "Balthazar", the much hyped celebrity hangout in N.Y. Sarabeth's Central Park South opens!PRESS RELEASE Sarabeth’s Opens Branch on Central Park South May 7, 2005 — Sarabeth’s, the quintessential New York eatery, announces the opening of its new restaurant at 40 Central Park South (bet. 5th & 6th Aves.; 212-826-5959). Three times the size of its largest sibling, this 200 seat Midtown location offers well-priced, high-quality contemporary American food in a part of town conspicuously lacking it. Now tourists, business diners, families, and local Sarabeth-loyalists have an inviting, all-day restaurant where they can enjoy Sarabeth’s classics such as pumpkin waffles ($9.95), cream of tomato soup ($7), chicken pot pie ($14.50), and strawberry shortcake ($8). In addition to her signature dishes, founder Sarabeth Levine and Executive Chef Stephen Meyers have added new options exclusive to this branch, particularly at dinner. Examples include: butter-poached lobster salad ($14); Muscovy duck breast with sunchoke puree, mustard greens, and apricot truffle jus ($22); and seared halibut with smoked corn, fava beans, rock shrimp, and lobster broth ($24). Further emphasizing dinner, the CPS location offers a full liquor bar (in lieu of the familiar take-out pastry counter) and a value-oriented wine list, with 10 wines by the glass. More than half of the bottles are priced under $40. Paying homage to both old New York and Central Park, designer James Kieran Pine has created an interior that harmoniously integrates glamour and garden elements. "I wanted to create a space with greenery from every vantage point; wherever you’re sitting, it feels like you’re somewhere in the park." Indeed, both the awning-covered sidewalk seating area and interior front room face Central Park, and offer views of trees and passing horse carriages. Farther back, a glass-enclosed boxwood garden serves as the restaurant’s eye-catching architectural centerpiece. The horticultural theme continues in the large rear dining area, which features a bright skylight, trompe l’oeil ceiling paintings of the sky, and windows that look out onto elaborate courtyard gardens. Chocolate-colored zebra-print banquettes provide comfort (and visual appeal) throughout the 200-seat restaurant. The CPS location of Sarabeth’s is open seven days a week, serving breakfast (8 AM–3:30 PM), lunch (11:30 AM–3:30 PM), afternoon tea (Monday–Friday, 3:30–5:30 PM), dinner (Monday–Saturday, 5:30–11 PM; Sunday, 5:30–10 PM), and weekend brunch (8 AM–4 PM). For more information and digital images, contact: The New York Times Diners Journal 9-16-05September 16, 2005 Sarabeth's It is not uncommon for a restaurant check to have the words "thank you" written on it. It is somewhat less common to find a smiley face, drawn by hand, next to those words. But at the end of a recent dinner at Sarabeth's on Central Park South, there it was, one of those insistently mirthful marks, simultaneously beaming at me and, to some extent, distilling the Sarabeth's spirit. Like its siblings, this new Sarabeth's traffics in warm and fuzzy and strives in part to be a fluffy afghan of a place. I know people who find the Sarabeth's restaurants magically sweet. I know people who find them cloying. The dividing lines seem to be just how invested a person is in brunch, just how fast pancakes and preserves make his or her pulse race, and just how much patience he or she has for twee. Not that Sarabeth's is just for brunch or breakfast. Not for many, many years now, and certainly not on Central Park South. This Sarabeth's, which opened about four months ago, is by far the biggest of the brood, with more than 175 seats. It has the most upscale dinner menu. And where its siblings have prominently placed bakery counters, it has a prominently placed bar. It is seriously courting evening - in addition to morning and afternoon - business. So that's when a group of friends and I went. The menu doesn't promise adventure. It promises heartiness and hominess. And much of the time it delivers. A restaurant like Sarabeth's should have good braised beef short ribs, and so Sarabeth's did. What's more, the portion was generous, and the price $23. A restaurant like Sarabeth's should know how to treat a chicken breast, and Sarabeth's treated it just right, so that the skin was crisp, the meat moist. A puck of grilled corn pudding beside it represented a pleasant fringe benefit. Should a restaurant like Sarabeth's produce a great fillet of salmon? I'm not sure, but Sarabeth's produced one that wasn't even particularly good. Dry and devoid of flavor, it was an out-and-out disappointment, as was a side order of soggy fries. Other entree choices included chicken pot pie, rack of lamb, seared sea scallops and a burger. Appetizer choices included shrimp cocktail, a classic Caesar salad, a so-called carpaccio of roasted beets. We had a very satisfying mushroom risotto with Serrano ham and truffle oil, a pleasant salad of baby spinach and fried green tomatoes, and a letdown of a lobster salad, which had tough lobster. Dessert options encompassed chocolate mousse cake, strawberry shortcake and the "CPS banana split." Sarabeth's has been designed and laid out so that no matter where a diner sits, he or she should get a glimpse of greenery: perhaps the trees in Central Park across the street; perhaps an atrium with shrubbery and small trees; perhaps the building's courtyard, with ivy and more trees. Above our table, on the ceiling, was a trompe l'oeil painting of the sky. And right below it hung a lattice of white-painted wood, which looked a bit like a picket fence that had taken flight. It was a very Sarabeth's kind of touch. Sarabeth's, 40 Central Park South, between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas; (212) 826-5959. Dinner appetizers, $7.50 to $14. Entrees, $16 to $32. |
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