Blue Ridge Grille … A Revisit
Four years ago I wrote a piece celebrating my favorite restaurant … anywhere. I’m revisiting, updating my experience here.
“Why is this place always so full?”
My guest yesterday for lunch asked me this question. When he asked me, I was moved to write this.
One other thing happened too that I’ll share with you at the end of this piece.
I live down the street from The Blue Ridge Grille. Can’t quite pole vault there, but close. Patrick Butler, the general manager there came to BRG when a bottle of Coke was 99 cents. I’ll let you figure how long he’s been there.
My waiter yesterday informed me that I’d visited Blue Ridge almost 500 times. While I was swelling with pride at all those Open Table points, he informed me, “But you know Mr. Brickley. There’s one gentleman who’s been here 1,700 times.” Oh, ok. Thanks for bursting my bubble. Guess how much I tipped that guy.
But let me tell you how I answered my guest’s question yesterday.
“John, this place is unique. It was just named one of the top 100 restaurants in America. There are close to 700,000 operating in the US today. BRG ranks in the top two tenths of 1%! It’s hard to describe the combination of things that make BRG so good. So special. But let me try.”
“The place is beautiful. The food is always, consistently good. Drinks at the bar are … well ‘sturdy.’ On the face of things BRG would appear to be like many other dining places in Atlanta. Appealing. Well run. Great atmosphere.”
“But as always with any restaurant, John. Any business really. It’s the people … it’s all about the people who make BRG so distinctive. I mentioned Patrick has been the manager there since the “ice age.” Somehow he has been able to build one of the most effective, engaging teams of people you’ll ever find.
John, when I wrote about Blue Ridge four years ago, I tried to name all the waiters. Missed two. I won’t try to list them here this time. Just watch how they embrace you while dining today. Oh, and those stars on their vests? Each represents five years of service. There are a lot of these.”
“From the start, you’ll feel the warmth from the beautiful lady who escorts us to our booth … to the guy who pours water. Delivers bread. Then comes the best part. The waiters.”
“All pros … all invested in making our stay enjoyable … all punctual. One told me he averages twenty to thirty thousand steps a day. Watch these guys scurry around. There’s a system. A process geared to get things done.
But the art of the deal? … is the service offering. Opens with a warm greeting from our waiter. Great conversation. Not too much. An ease when attending to us you will so enjoy. A sense in him or her how best to provide service while giving you and me space … the time we need to converse with little interruption. Never awkward. So well done.”
John thanked me for answering his question. Even though I think he regretted opening my verbal “firehouse.” I really like this place.
Lastly, let me share the “one other thing” I mentioned that happened yesterday. As John and I approached our booth, four or five of these masterful pros started clapping. I turned around looking to see if Brad Pitt was behind me. Special. Made me feel like I’d just won an Oscar.
John had known the answer to his question before he even asked it.
He was in a top hundred restaurant. He’d visit BRG again. Many times. But he’ll never catch me. I’ll be chasing that guy with the seventeen hundred visits.