Recently, an invitation crossed my desk asking me to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of one of New York’s most famous restaurants, Payard, the namesake bistro and patisserie owned and operated by renowned French pastry chef François Payard.
The invitation gave me the opportunity to visit the restaurant and talk with Payard and his executive chef, Phillipe Bertineau, about what makes their restaurant successful.
The pastry chef, who opened Payard in 1997 after making a name for himself in some of the finest kitchens in the world, is immensely proud of his success. He says he has worked hard over the years, but his reward is tenfold.
“People sometimes don’t know how much it takes to keep things going,” he says. “It’s not about making volume, it’s about making things better. In the end, I make a little money, but more than that I make myself happy.”
In a town where there are approximately 20,000 restaurants and an inordinate amount of them close as quickly as they open, the fact that Payard, a little jewel box on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, has stood the test of time, is a tribute to the dedication of Monsieurs Payard and Bertineau. Both are devoted to making the business the best it can be.
To achieve this goal, Payard says he is extremely demanding of his staff, putting pressure on them to ensure impeccable service.
When you walk through the doors of Payard, it’s almost like being transported back to a romantic 19th century Paris cafe. The restaurant has silk and leather banquettes and crown molding featuring elaborate croissants in the design. And the delightful pastries are like nothing you’ve ever tasted before. Still, Francois Payard knows that is not enough to keep customers coming back for more. To be successful he and Bertineau have to stay modern in their thinking.
“In New York, where everything changes, you have to bring something special to the city,” Payard says.
Echoes Bertineau: “In this business, it’s all about reinventing yourself every day.”
The restaurant’s sophistication and value perception set the restaurant apart from the competition, Payard says.
“My goal all my life is to make Payard the best and most affordable,” he says. ‘That’s what makes it different. Of course you must compare it to what’s comparable—not to a small restaurant downtown.”
Payard notes that his regular customers prove the formula is working by visiting again and again.
“I do want to thank all the customers for the last 10 years,” he says. “This is a very good neighborhood, the Upper East Side, very demanding, but the most loyal in town.”
While I don’t live on the Upper East Side, I, too, am ready to return to Payard. So a toast: Happy anniversary and more success to come.