LaBan-Starr Chat Crib Notes

There was lots of juicy details spilled in Craig LaBan’s chat with Stephen Starr.

Here are just some of the highlights:

• Starr Restaurant Organization employs 1,600 people making it one of the top 100 employers in the reason.
• Ed Rendell came to Starr about taking over Striped Bass.
• Butcher and Singer will be a steakhouse featuring chops with mass appeal.
• Broad Street Diner is under agreement for sale and several concepts are under consideration.
• A serious complaint can get your entire meal comped at a Starr restaurant.
• Sounds like Starr will be opening an Indian restaurant in town next year. He says he has “a tremendous chef and some really exciting ideas on design.”
• In addition to the hint he drops about the Indian restaurant he also laments the lack of a gastropub in Center City. Stephen must have a limited idea of what Center City is and a gastropub for that matter. But more importantly, we wonder if this means his gastropub idea is going to be coming back.
• Starr says he’ll probably never do a suburban restaurant although a Jones in King of Prussia makes some sense to him.
• Molecular gastronomy doesn’t excite Starr, he finds it “to be a bit souless and self indulgent.”
• Starr really regrets Washington Square’s demise. He was designing four restaurants at the same time then.
• Starr says he’s “been looking to do a small BYO.” We highly doubt that.
• He still wants to do a hotel in Philadelphia.
• The Aimee Alexy mentioned is really Aimee Olexy of Talula’s Table fame.

Chat with Craig LaBan and Stephen Starr [Philly.com]