FoodArt Group Inc., a Los Angeles-based restaurant group backed by celebrity chef David Myers, is in the midst of opening a pair of upscale eateries in Costa Mesa’s arts district this year.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;The company plans to add more than 200 local restaurant jobs, according to Basil Schmid, FoodArt’s principal and chief operating officer.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;It’s been a quick ramp up for the company. FoodArt Group counted some 60 employees two years ago. By the end of the year, more than 500 full-time and part-time employees will be on staff, with most of the newest hires in Orange County, according to Schmid.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;Earlier this year the company opened Pizzeria Ortica, a casual Italian restaurant, on Anton Boulevard, a few blocks from South Coast Plaza.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;Later this year, the company will open Comme & #199;a, an upscale French brasserie, at the Park Tower office building in Costa Mesa.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;Both buildings are run by C.J. Seger-strom & Sons LLC.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;It’s the second Comme & #199;a for FoodArt Group. The first opened in 2007 on Mel-rose Avenue in Los Angeles and has been getting strong reviews as well as its share of famous diners.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;The company is fronted by Myers, host of the TV show “Shopping with Chefs.”
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;Schmid, a Swiss national with a background in both physics and cooking, met up with Myers earlier this decade and started the company shortly thereafter.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;He calls himself the silent partner in the FoodArt Group team.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;”David takes care of the creative end of business,” Schmid said. “And he has the last word.”
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;The company typically brings in 15 to 40 investors for each restaurant, but retains a majority stake in every venture.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;Investors still have been pushing for expansion, despite the rough economic times. Additional Myers-backed restaurants are being considered for the first time outside Southern California, including in Las Vegas and Japan.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;The realities of the economy require a close eye on details and expenses, Schmid said.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;He said he gets the daily results of each of FoodArt’s restaurants first thing each morning and can make changes,on anything from menu items and food ingredients to prices and personnel,accordingly. About a third of FoodArt’s expenses are tied to labor.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;The daily updates have helped Pizzeria Ortica, at a 4,000-square-foot spot that formerly was home to Turner New Zealand Restaurant, meet its budget in its first few months of operation,a rarity for a new eatery, Schmid said.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;It’s commonly said that nine out of 10 restaurants fail in the first year of operation. Studies put that first-year figure closer to 25%, with a 60% closure rate
for most restaurants in their first three years.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;”It takes about a year to get a restaurant running property,” Schmid said.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;FoodArt has been able to keep customer traffic steady at most of its restaur-
ants, although the average check size per customer is down, according to the
company.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;The company’s not afraid to rework plans. A 6,700-square-foot lease for Comme & #199;a, struck last summer originally called for the restaurant to open late last year.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;Since then, FoodArt’s reworked the layout of the restaurant, removing plans for a second floor, among other changes. Slowing down the opening was probably a good idea considering the economy, Schmid said.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;The Pizzeria Ortica lease was also signed last year, but the company opted to move faster on its opening. Another Pizzeria Ortica is now in the works for Los Angeles.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;More high-end eateries around South Coast Plaza appear to be in the works.
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;Costa Mesa city records show plans for an 11,175-square-foot restaurant in the Bloomingdales wing of South Coast Plaza, next to Charlie Palmer. The restaurant is said to be part of the A-N restaurant chain, which currently operates restaurants in Beverly Hills and San Francisco under the name Crustacean.
