Luxury Care Can Charge Luxury Prices, but Should It?

Recently, I went to one of the final breakfast brunches at Aujourd'hui, the luxury restaurant at the Four Seasons Boston, which closed its door at the end of last month (June 2009). According to the HotelChatter Web site, "Apparently, entree dishes—like Assiette of Rabbit and Gulf of Maine Hake—went for around $40 each, and the fancypants factor wasn't enough to lure diners into the place to shell out that kind of dough. Sigh. Guess all anyone wants are sliders and big french fries with fancy dips."

I don't usually go for this type of high-end fare—the brunch buffet includes lobster, sushi, peking duck, carving stations, patés, pasta dishes, salads, and desserts, along with "typical" breakfast fare like eggs benedict, bacon, crepes, etc. And only $68 per person! But it was a dear friend's birthday, and, for many years (before her young children were born), we would breakfast (off a defunct a la carte menu) at Aujourd'hui to celebrate. Now, with the restaurant closing, we came for the last hurrah.

What my friend Anne loved about Aujourd'hui is the service. "I just love how they pamper me." Indeed, she found the eggs on the buffet too underdone, so they cooked up about six eggs worth of firm scamble just for her, with just a little cheese inside (at her request). The water, juice, and coffee were refilled before you even realized you wanted it. The wait staff was not only efficient and professional, but also personable, engaging with us (when we made it clear we would enjoy that), but keeping a distance from the people who preferred that servers be seen and not heard.

At Aujourd'hui, I had run into and exchanged brief pleasantries with two people I knew, each with different parties. I contacted them, and asked them why they were at Aujourd'hui that day. Both responded that they wanted that high-end luxury experience, with the ambiance and pampering, just one last time.

I understand that people cannot afford $70 meals (without wine) in this economy. I question how many people were ever really able to afford $70 meals on a regular basis. So I started to wonder why the price tag for pampering had to be so high.

True, pampering relies on an excellent, and well-trained and well-rewarded, wait staff (as well as restaurant management and policy), and wait staff relies on tips for a good portion of their income. And the higher priced the meal, the higher the tips. But if no one is coming to eat at the restaurants, great wait staff members aren't earning that much anymore in many cases. Even mid-priced restaurants are suffering in favor of fast food and family-style restaurants.

So why not take the spirit of luxury to heart and apply it to more reasonably priced food or services. Treating your customers as if your only concern is to fulfill their needs (as, indeed, it should be—or at least it should appear to be) can apply to a $30 meal, or a $50 (versus a $200) haircut. Providing affordable luxury care would encourage patrons to return more often, to bring new people, and to recommend your business to others. A quarter-filled luxury restaurant might bring in a lot of bucks per person, but a full mid-priced, but with luxury-style pampering, brings in lots more bucks per day.

Comments

[Mark Sickler]

This is a VERY interesting topic, and I have to say that experiencing luxury service on any level is out there, you just have to find it.

There's a restaurant that I have frequented since it first opened its doors over 12 years ago, Gargoyle's On The Square in Somerville, MA. When it first opened, the neighborhood it's in was in transition. It was such a welcomed sight to have a more upscale eatery in the area. It was the first and as far as I'm concerned, still the best. When they opened their doors, the average price for an entree was around $19. The average price for a full 10oz martini was only $7. Obviously with inflation, you can no longer find a $19 entrée on their menu, and the 10oz martinis are now $11. What's kept me a customer for the last 13 years? Five-star service combined with moderately priced upscale offerings, along with the comfortable feeling of a local hangout. I often joke that it's my home away from home.

When I have out of town guests, I take them there. I've held sales meetings there. Candlelight dinners with that special someone. This particular restaurant has managed to find that balance, of a comfortable and unpretentious eatery with gracious service and outstanding cuisine…and you don’t have to cross the river or fight downtown traffic to get it! This is probably why the place is always packed, and the locals keep coming back for more!