Inquirer: Craig LaBan's special guest today is Stephen Starr, the man behind many familiar Philadelphia restaurants, including Buddakan, Morimoto, Alma de Cuba, El Vez, The Continental, Barclay Prime, Pod and Tangerine. He's also expanded into New York and Atlantic City.

Craig: Good afternoon, my hungry friends, and welcome back to our weekly chat on the Philly food beat. Today we have a special guest: Stephen Starr joins us from a remote computer located in the nerve center of the Starr Restaurant Empire at Second and Market. And he's ready to answer your questions live. Few individuals have helped define our local eating scene over the last decade quite as much as Stephen Starr, whose concept-driven restaurants have set the standard for high-energy, high-design, mega-restaurant dining.

Craig: Since transforming an old diner into a martini bar/global tapas phenomenon at the Continental in Old City in 1995, he's had his share of hits and (a few misses, too). But Starr now runs 17 restaurants between Philly (where there are 11), NYC (2) and Atlantic City (4). His company employs 1,600 people, making it one of the top 100 employers in the entire region. On an average Saturday night alone, his restaurants serve an average of 9,800 meals, generating about $459,000 in gross revenues. That's a lot of fish tacos and calamari salad, Stephen! Welcome to today's chat! We'll be taking questions from readers – but no reservations, of course, for Saturday night at Parc. I have a few of my questions, too. So let's get started.

Craig: How do you think the Philadelphia restaurant scene has changed or evolved in the past 10 years? And how do you define its character vis-à-vis some of the other markets you've entered – for example New York City, or Florida, which I know you've explored?

Stephen: Ten years ago, the restaurant scene in Philadelphia was very uninteresting. Prior to that, there was a renaissance in the late '70s and '80s but by 2001 the renaissance was long gone. Beginning with Striped bass, which was owned by Neil Stein, and then Continental and Buddakan, the scene started to blossom.

Nicholas: What is your current relationship with Jose Garces now that he has become a star in the Philadelphia restaurant world. Did you speak with him after his Iron Chef victory?

Stephen: I haven't seen Jose in quite awhile but I'm very proud of all of his success. It's like watch your son graduate from college and becoming very successful.

Michael G: When it comes time for planning a restaurant do you weigh the trendiness of a place with it's ability to last longer than the trend??

Craig: Along those lines, why don't you walk us through your own process in picking a theme or concept for a restaurant space – and how has your approach matured or changed over the years as SRO has grown?

Stephen: In the beginning, I did not pay as much attention to weighing the trendiness vs. the ability to last. However, today in the economic climate that we're in all things must be considered and longevity is very much in the forefront when it comes to deciding what concepts to do.

Stephen: I first become infatuated with the space. The physical layout of a room. Location is generally not a factor for me. In terms of concept in the beginning when I started, that was easy because there was virtually nothing here. Today, I continue to look for what I feel people want that they cannot get here. It takes more than a trip to NY however. It requires travel and reading and being in touch with popular culture before making that final decision.

Michael G: What happened to Striped Bass?? Poor sales or was it just time for something new or at least newly done by you??

Craig: The closing of Striped Bass was definitely a shock to many who saw it as a symbol of Restaurant Row fine dining. Was its demise the sign of an end to an older, more formal concept of fine dining in this city or the country at large?

Craig: On that topic, the choice of a steak house to replace Striped Bass – why more red meat in a town with so many new steak houses already? Also, won't it compete with your own Barclay Prime just around the corner?

Stephen: Striped Bass was not my restaurant originally. I was contacted by, I believe, at the time Gov. Rendell, to see if I can do anything in reopening this Philadelphia institution after it had gone out of business. I reopened with Alfred Portale and Chris Lee and received great reviews including a 4 bell review from the Philadelphia Inquirer. However, even with the great reviews our business never took off. I believe people just don't want to eat like this anymore. The formality and the price doesn't seem to be what people want in 2008.

Stephen: Butcher and Singer is a steakhouse which will also feature chops. I chose this because to be successful the rent that we are forced to pay we must do a concept that is mass appeal. Of course, I will be doing this with our signature interpretation that i believe will prove that this concept, while yes another steakhouse, will be different than any other in the city.

Craig: Speaking of mass-appeal, we're getting lots of queries about your plans for the old diner on S. Broad St. you're buying....

Stephen: We have the broad street diner under agreement of sale with several concepts in mind. However, I cannot talk about those ideas at this time.

Craig: Stephen – aside from setting trends, your restaurants have also set sonic records for some of the noisiest spaces in town. Jones remains the only place to ever break the 100-reading on my decibel meter. When I walk by Parc, I'm thinking we have a contender to break that mark. So, what's with the noise in your restaurants? Is it a deliberate design to create that signature "vibe", or just a function of, well, a busy restaurant?

Stephen: I believe that the noise at many of my restaurants is the sound of success. People talking, laughing, music playing. However, I am now becoming more sensitive to the fact that many people want a quieter environment. When I first started, the baby boomers were in their 30s. As they approach their 50s and 60s, the restaurant experience they wanted is different. So will be more sensitive going forward to acoustical considerations.

Stephen: In terms of Parc, the overwhelming success in terms of the numbers plus the hard surfaces that are common in the french bistro in Paris (ex. Tile floors, mirrors, plaster ceiling) contribute to the noise issue. We have hired an acoustical engineer to make recommendations to cut some of the noise. This should be done in the next 4-5 weeks. I also believe Craig LeBan is one of the more sensitive critics to the decibal level.

Craig: Yes, Stephen, I'm very sensitive. I like to hear what I'm eating!

Jon: Where do you like to go for a casual meal with kids when not eating at your restaurants?

Stephen: My youngest child likes to go to Johnny Rockets. So, I gotta go there. I also enjoy going to Maccabeam on 11th and Walnut which is a kosher Middle Eastern restaurant.

Craig: You've often described yourself as a sort of anti-foodie – a tuna sandwich kind of guy. How does that work, given all the taste-driven decisions you have to make in the course of creating a restaurant? And which of your restaurants serve the best tuna sandwich?

Stephen: I am not an anti foodie. I taste more food than a thousand food critics. My taste buds are bombarded by flavors and sauces on a daily basis. So it is a vacation my mouth and my health to be able to eat a simple tuna fish sandwich or some hummus or a bowl of spaghetti with lemon juice and salt.

Craig: Stephen - If you eat 1,000 times my weekly intake, I don't know how you even fit through the door at Buddakan.

Craig: In all that bombardment of flavors, in your search for the next "big thing," you've become a great student of restaurant trends across the country. What do you think Philadelphia's scene is lacking – and which trends do you think this city will never embrace?

Stephen: Philadelphia has as much or more, in terms of restaurants, than most cities in the US. Cities like San Francisco and New York do have some more interesting trends and concepts that haven't gotten here. I believe a high end Indian restaurant is needed in Philadelphia and something like Lulu in San Francisco which has lots of rotisserie meat and game. Also we still do not have a gastro pub in center city.

Michael G: How do you keep your service staffs consistent even after the initial buzz wears off??

Stephen: Training. Training. We have several ways that we check on our service. We have secret shopper reports and surveys and we also practice ongoing. Our staff will engage in role playing and be presented with various situation that they may come up against in the real world.

Craig: Bad service can sometimes ruin an otherwise great meal – do you have any general rules of thumb for dealing with legitimate complaints from diners? What should diners expect when something really goes wrong?

Stephen: Bad service is a 911 call in our company. I many times will personally call and talk to the customers that have voice their complaint about the service or the food. We follow up with an inquiry, an apology even if we don't agree with the customer and gift cert. that exceeds the complaint. In the restaurant, managers are instructed to comp the entire check if the complaint is serious. The managers have the discretion at my restaurants. It is my desire that no one leaves unhappy.

Craig: For example, what would qualify as a "serious" complaint?

Stephen: Any complaint about food or the attention given to the customer or cleanliness is a very serious complaint. If the customer doesn't like the music or thinks it's chilly, that qualifies as a complaint to be certainly listened to, but not a felony offense.

Dave: Revisiting the topic of noise levels in a dining room I've found the soundtrack to a meal and be just as important as the food, service and general ambiance. Are you personally involved in the soundtrack selection? BTW, I always enjoy the music at Barclay Prime - provides a great back drop to a consistently terrific dinning experience.

Stephen: This is a topic close to my heart. Before I was in the restaurant business I was in the music business. I personally am very involved in the picking of our music. I along with our company that provides the music work closely together in choosing the music. I love the process.

Jimmy: Hey Craig! Hey Mr. Starr! Mr. Starr, ever consider opening an Indian restaurant in town?

Stephen: I am so enthusiastic about opening an Indian restaurant. I have a tremendous chef and some really exciting ideas on design. I hope to get to this concept to Philadelphia sometime next year.

Brian: Stephen, how about some real BBQ in center city, NYC and D.C. both have a few to choose from.

Stephen: I think Philadelphia would be prime for a great BBQ restaurant. I personally don't really eat BBQ so its not been on my radar. I tend to do better with restaurant concepts that I would like to go to.

Marie: Hi I work at 2 Logan Square & there is a rumor you are taking over the cafeteria at Pepper Hamilton ... is this true?

Craig: What, a Stephen Starr cafeteria? It can't be true ... he wouldn't do a mall restaurant, either ... would he? Would you?

Stephen: Yes Marie. We have formed a different division of our company that is doing catering and special events. Pepper Hamilton is our law firm. So we agreed to do catering for them. And Craig, we are not going to a mall. If the suburbs want us, they have to come to us.

Craig: What is it about the suburban environment that you think doesn't work for your kind of restaurant concept?

Stephen: One. I think the image of the company maybe a bit tarnished by being in the suburbs. The other reason is that we want to be in the center of the universe where people from all suburbs can have easy access. I do struggle however with maybe doing a Jones in a place like the King of Prussia mall because I think people would truly be happy to have it there. I'll probably never do this.

WPD: Speaking of trends, will there ever be a real Molecular Gastronomy restaurant along the lines of Chicago's Moto and Alinea in Philly? As a follow-up: would you please consider opening one!?

Stephen: I personally do not like it unless it's done perfectly. And even then I find it to be a bit souless and self-indulgent.

Craig: While you've had plenty of success, you've also had a few misses, or a few restaurants that just didn't last. Looking back with hindsight, what have been your biggest mistakes?

Stephen: I think trying to open and design four restaurants at one time, a few years ago, was a mistake, and I believe Washington Square suffered because of it. Myself and my very talented people can pretty much handle two restaurants at a time. Anything beyond that gets a little scary.

michaelZ: Quick questions: Which one will be around the longest? Which one is your sentimental fave? Which one was a disappointment in the end? Which was the hardest to open?

Stephen: I love all of my children. However, i think the Continental at 2nd and Market will be around the longest and the Continental plus Buddakan will probably be my sentimental favorites because they were my first and the ones that I literally designed, worked in and shaped all on my own. Washington Square was a disappointment because I did not do a good enough job as I should have. The most difficult restaurant to open was Buddakan in New York, which probably also is the most spectacular of all of my restaurants.

Elisabeth: If you had to choose one meal at all your places, what would it be?

Stephen: Aged Beef at Buddakan in Philadelphia, Continental Salad and Matzo Ball Soup at Jones.

Marty: Stephen - My thoughts exactly about molecular gastronomy. The self indulgence is the deal breaker for me. How about a BYO for SRO?

Stephen: Funny you should ask but I have been looking to do a small BYO. If anyone has any good locations please let me know.

Craig: How many restaurants can one guy own, Stephen? What kind of limits have you set for yourself and the company in the future? Also, what other fields do you see yourself entering outside restaurants?

Craig: ... Stephen humming a Dylan tune in the background over the phone ... "How many restaurants can one guy own ... how many ..."

Stephen: I do restaurants that I get excited over. I don't say to myself "How many restaurant can one guy own?" If i get moved by an idea I wanna do it. I think this has been a key component to my success. I cannot do the amount of restaurants I've done in Philadelphia in other markets so I want to concentrate in Philadelphia and New York. I would like to pursue the opening of a hotel here in Philadelphia in the future.

Craig: We're going to wrap this conversation up pretty soon. But first, one more question ... Who do you admire most outside your company on the local scene? Who do you think might be the "next Stephen Starr"? And which Starr kitchen alums cooking on their own out there are you most proud of?

Craig: Actually, that was three questions ... sorry.

Stephen: I do not see a person or company in Philadelphia crazy enough to do what we've been doing over the last two years. However, I'm extremely proud of Jose Garces, who I think is a tremendous chef who took a lot of what he learned with Douglas and myself and created a formula that is giving him great success. Also, Aimee Alexy has just been amazing ever since she left us at Blue Angel many years ago.

Craig: On that note, I'm going to call this chat finito. Thanks very much, Stephen, for taking the time to join us and answer all these brilliant questions. You've been a great guest.

Craig: Thanks also to everyone who joined in for today's chat. I'll be back next week at the same time, same URL, but with a different menu du jour. Until then, be well, and may you all eat something worth bragging about!