Phil Costner has always been driven to excel in the restaurant world. And even though he’s risen from chef to chief operating officer at Dallas-based La Madeleine, he’s not done yet.
“I won’t slow down until my door says “CEO,” he says.
He began as teenager helping his mother assembling Julia Child-inspired canapés for family parties, then attended culinary school and worked in fine dining. By 30, he became corporate executive chef for LSG Sky Chefs. A decade later he rose to vice president at Universal Studios Hollywood. Most recently he was vice president of food and beverage for Carlson Restaurants where he “led the team that developed Right Portions at the Right Prices at T.G.I. Friday’s.”
Today, as chief operating officer of La Madeleine, Costner, 49, is working to make the concept easier and faster for guests to use and for his team to operate. To do so he’s developing new menu boards and foods that are targeted to roll out early in 2010.
What happened at Universal Studios that made it a pivotal job for you?
Six months after starting I told my wife I was going to be senior vice president of food and beverage. I told Norm Rich, [who was then senior vice president of foodservice,] ‘I want your job.’ So Norm made a point of bringing me into meetings that had financial, development and planning content. He never said, “Don’t say anything,” but instinctively I knew not to say anything. Over the course of three years or so I became numbers savvy.
“I have known Phil for approximately 16 years. He was one of those special individuals that the minute I met him I knew he was destined for greatness. He was always confident, aggressive, creative, funny, smart, hard working and had a desire to please. He took direction well and used his talents to climb many ladders fast. There was not anything that Phil could not do.”—Norm Rich, former senior vice president of foodservice at Universal Studios Hollywood
Is the business or food aspect now the most challenging part of your job?
They are different. That’s like asking, is being a doctor harder than being a dentist. They are both highly specialized professions. There is a need for both and you have to be good at both. They are each as hard as you want to make them.
Is it a wise requirement for top restaurant executives to have extensive culinary training and experience?
No, because you can always surround yourself with brilliance. But it sure is a premium.
Were you hired at La Madeleine because of your diverse experiences?
Absolutely. No question.
How specifically does your background help you as COO?
In a small company and/or in difficult economic times the broader base one brings to the job, the better. And I speak the language. I can speak to our chefs. I am part of the operational process and I can help guide development. On the other hand, I can have a very meaningful discussion with our key operators about process, service style and cost savings. I can also drive the direction, flavor and flair of marketing.
How much time do you focus on food?
I have got a great culinary leader, who focuses 110 percent of her time on food, which allows me to focus about 30 percent of my time on it.
Would you discuss the salary difference of a COO compared to a chef, such as a hotel chef?
I don’t proclaim to be a compensation expert, but my gut tells me there is probably a difference. That said, there is no doubt that there are hotel chefs out there making more than I do. The real issue is not how much one makes, it’s how much they enjoy doing what they do. I loved being a chef and owe my entire career to being one at several incredible companies. But having held both positions and given the choice, I’d choose to be a COO and have a great chef on my team.
With so much responsibility, does anything wake you up in the middle of the night?
While the restaurant business can be very rewarding, not to mention fun, it can also be incredibly stressful. The things that keep me up are probably very similar to those that keep my peers staring at the ceiling fan at 3:00 in the morning—flour prices increasing five fold overnight, the price of utilities doubling in the blink of an eye, corn jumping up causing beef or poultry prices to climb into the stratosphere.
The toughest part about things like that is there is not a darn thing you can do about them. You just get caught up in the middle of it and try your hardest to survive.
The government getting into our business through menu labeling mandates, and feverish attempts to control what we can prepare, sell or eat—i.e. foie gras and trans fat—keeps me pretty restless too.
Are you working to lower labor costs?
We’re reinventing our service style, not our food, nor our ambience. We’re making La Madeleine easier for our guests to use and our associates to execute.
How?
We’re building a prototype location in Dallas. Along with a new service model, we will be introducing several new menu items across all dayparts. We’re debuting this in January.
PHIL COSTNER Title: chief operating officer, La Madeleine Country French Cafe, DallasBirth date: March 3, 1960Birthplace: Seattle, WashingtonEducation: The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y., in 1982First job after graduation: second cook, Four Seasons, SeattleCareer turning point: working for Norm Rich at Universal Studios Hollywood
Are there other things you have changed or plan to change?
I hope I have enhanced the culture of the company. I set out to instill a sense of forward thinking, making changes or improvements that, while driven by the voice of our guest, are well thought out, data driven and with a specific result in mind–i.e. driving top-line sales or traffic, or value or guest advocacy.
The changes we have made as a team include a much more open approach to partnering with our vendor partners, much stronger cross functional processes, far better planning in terms of marketing and product development, stronger leveraging of the marketing and operating dollars and a sense of entrepreneurship throughout the operating group.
Product changes have included a very successful line of mini desserts–a category which continues to grow for us–handmade artisan flatbreads, the Smart Choice menu, which enables the guest to enjoy classic La Madeleine entrée favorites at less than 500-700 calories, the Slim Portions at Slim Prices menu selections, succulent braised short ribs as a seasonal product offering and retail value packs.
We have also recently introduced the “Card for the Cause,” a program in which we offer a year-round discount to the cardholder and donate a portion of the sales made with the card to the Susan G. Komen foundation to aid in the fight against breast cancer.
Who sparked your interest in business?
My dad. No one worked harder than my dad. As a child I fell asleep every night to a typewriter thumping away. All of our bedrooms were in the basement and under his study. He wrote and edited textbooks. He was an associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle.
How did you become interested in food?
My mom was the inspiration for cooking. She was a big Julia Child fan. When my parents threw parties, I would be in the kitchen with my mom making hundreds of intricate canapés. My older brother would work the floor. He could serve wine properly at 12 years old.
Does mom critique what you’re doing at La Madeleine?
My Mom lives in Seattle and sadly we do not have any locations in the Northwest yet. My mom is my biggest fan and has always let me know how proud she is. If it weren’t for her love of Julia Child and for French food in general, and her gentle but firm nudging, I would not have attended the CIA nor be a chef or a COO today. I can’t wait to get her out to Dallas to dine at La Madeleine. I know she’ll give me her honest critique.
What’s next for you?
I see myself continuing to grow with La Madeleine in all senses of the word. I love being the COO, but I won’t lie to you. I won’t slow down until my door says “CEO.”