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Scott Gerber, principal of Gerber Group, explains the surge in popularity of Malbecs among his patrons, and how the recession changed consumers' wine...
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Okay added about what are and I would have outlined -- Wednesday it wine with me you gotta top line with me haven't talked about -- how blind.
Has affected nightlife as I Scott -- here principle of the Gerber group arguably the most influential group in nightlife these days.
And just so everyone knows they see you started basically in 91 with the whiskey bar and the Paramount hotel yep and you just gone on from there you EU.
-- ice was union brother could be considered the founders of the cool hotel -- Guess I doubt because it wasn't she can cool now right -- you it was like the old school big -- accounts is not fun right.
So let me ask you we don't we talk about what talk about line rate I would think that when people come now they don't -- -- are you seeing and a different trend.
I'd say our bars are mostly spirits right so we are seeing people that are obviously ordering wine and the difference is they're not just saying.
-- thank you Chardonnay are ninety cabernet you know there's somebody different lines of people are looking at now whether -- be.
You know Bob -- from Argentina are you know -- -- you know a lot of different things that are better price points and -- great quality that people are looking to attract.
That is different than what it used today.
-- -- -- It's like -- -- -- -- cool thing to order a -- from anywhere but Italy I would think -- these days to this I mean it's similar to like the small batch burdens again you know things like that you know smaller tequila is.
People -- really kind of being drawn to this boutique.
You know -- either spirits and the same thing -- lines -- the smaller growers are you know just coming out of some incredible winds that are not.
Ridiculously priced so people are price sensitive and are looking for value in their lives.
I know you use certain mom that's in your.
-- your -- -- you also serve.
The honey if I'm not -- -- which comes from us Istanbul.
Vineyard and I think it that might be something that people actually.
-- -- -- I think people are very concerned about you know obviously being Green and sustainability so.
People that read about different lines are knowledgeable about it if they had the opportunity to drink this kind of winds and are offered by -- cabernet.
They choose us over you know maybe the bigger producers and I guess that I think they're drawn to these kind of small boutique batch.
You know distillery is as well as -- so we're seeing a lot of that demand.
You mentioned that can't agree which is a -- the American version of the -- you know -- yeah right like I was saying it's almost not calling -- -- -- timeline right.
How do you decide what you gonna have in new places and do you have at the same thing all of them.
We have basically a lot of these same lines many of our bars that a lot of them are only available by region and some of them are more popular in different regions.
So doing we decide we're gonna carry is basically reduce tasting with you know a lot of the people that I work quit as well as the bartenders and servers.
And it's really by consensus if we all like the -- the way we taste and that's what we can sell I -- the end of the -- it's -- -- be my bartenders and I servers that are gonna get you to taste of why maybe never had before.
And if they don't believe in it then we're never gonna be a LaSalle so we basically sit around and.
-- -- Europe the hotel bars we see where -- -- -- living room all part of hotels because you had affiliation with Starwood Hotels & Resorts yes so.
At are you seeing things getting better because you're some not directly correlated to the hotel industry aren't tuned.
We are mean a lot of our -- most of our bars are hotels we did some free standing but.
What we've been able to do is create these bars that make it fun for the hotel guests to come down and get the experience of the city -- and so you know we tracked.
You -- bars we -- locals.
And if you're coming to city especially for the first time like new York and you wanna get that New York experience you can come down talk -- because there are locals there are you know guests visiting from.
You know their business across the street so that's what we've been able to create.
You know every hotel has a -- So we have to be that can be differentiating factor that gets you to choose the hotels that -- in vs the one across the street.
I think we've been very successful -- that the hotel business in the past year has been pretty strong.
So there is a lot of development when it comes to hotels and therefore we have a lot of opportunities so are you expanding yes you know I -- yes.
Where we just opened Lillian at the W union square in New York where currently building.
Deal Helmsley hotel on 42 street New York which will be -- west and hello working on deals and San Francisco Toronto find out the Panama City tomorrow to look at the -- There's a lot of opportunity after what what's overseas than like.
-- -- been interesting I mean you know the economies there are obviously difficult so our property in Madrid did get hit a little bit.
But we -- Paris in January and it really is it's after great starts.
We are seeing some pockets of -- in Europe but I'd say overall it still.
-- muted do you think that when people come to places like yours they don't think they -- getting that last line.
No I don't think so I mean we don't have a huge fine that's because I guess in our bars are mostly -- spirits but we do have Martinis things that yet but for people that wanted -- glass of -- we want to be able to offer that because we -- -- have had something for everybody.
-- we want you to come in and say okay.
Tonight and is not in the me to have my martini right to have one martini but that I want a nice glass of wine or I came in after dinner and -- -- a glass of wine or quarter of something like that so.
We like the kind of offer -- People want so it.
I'm not vineyard I don't I get my lines interior places.
Your very nice to me I'm -- make these choices.
-- but we're pretty diplomatic I mean if you come to us -- a great product and it tastes great has gotten great reviews and our staff loves it.
We're gonna try -- and you know the proof is in the pudding if the customers like it when they try it.
We're gonna continue to carry it if they don't.
Then we're not how many -- you have and -- and now we have six places in Manhattan right now opening two more hoping to how do you do that it a minute.
That's eight different spots that you're sort of be cannibalizing yourself.
I don't think so I mean it's not like you know -- -- -- -- -- every night.
So really depends upon what and the mood -- -- some are places are you know geared towards a little bit of a different clientele and that's a different music you know the look and feel of them is -- a little bit different but.
No we're not cannibalizing ourselves and we also -- -- -- different properties and you were in the Time Warner Center.
My -- is where whiskey park which is free standing memory a couple of w.s were doing a Weston's.
You know there's a lot of people in New York that might do that -- a good time.
And the one thing that I I.
I always appreciated that you guys -- -- you it's not like it's cookie cutter for you kind of builds in this space gray and people.
You have to I mean you know what I would say is that our beer and our you know vodka alters the same as everybody else's so what -- we delivered what's the experience that we're delivering it's gonna be.
Great services can be a great design a comfortable place great music.
And that's what gets you to come back it's not you're not coming back because my Heineken is any better than anybody else itself.
What is that experience in the -- having a good.
Experience when you go to our bars.
And this activity your staff is always fabulous executives to budget places in you should try go on the website it is what.
Gerber -- dot com and find one near you if you're not in Manhattan and because there all over and I love that your parents sweater.
-- the -- Lafayette hotel that's on the 33 floor with unbelievable views.
It's fantastic that's not a bad -- -- -- check up on that front -- that it's got their reference of all the Gerber group.
Please -- why it was the first at the Fairmont hotel and now there's just -- -- -- go check them out thanks beings and it.
