How a Chef Tackles Two Years of Opening Delays
Photo Caption: The kitchen scene between services at Simone in Los Angeles.
Skift Take
When a one-year build-out turns into two or even three, chefs and restaurateurs have plenty to do to stay busy, but they also need to keep the momentum and buzz going before its debut. Here’s how chef Jessica Largey stayed focused on getting Simone opened in L.A.
There was a huge media push in 2016 for Jessica Largey’s first solo restaurant, Simone. The former and award-winning Manresa chef de cuisine was coming to the red-hot Arts District in downtown Los Angeles, huge news as more and more out-of-town chefs announced their desire to be in what was becoming one of the buzziest food cities in the country.
Only it didn’t open that year, nor the year after. Simone finally debuted in fall 2018 with a celebrity-studded opening party and sturdy footing.
Delays are common for restaurant openings, especially in L.A. where bureaucratic red tape is thicker than most cities. Depending on the space, there’s demolition and permitting, design hurdles, inspections that stretch for weeks and months, all the while rent, architects, construction crews and opening teams are being paid.
Before Largey left Manresa, she was a young chef on the rise. During her six years at David Kinch’s Los Gatos restaurant, accolades were in abundance from Zagat to Eate
