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.