Atlantic Starr

The man who single-handedly changed the Philadelphia dining scene hopes to do the same in Atlantic City. And by the looks, tastes, and crowds at The Continental and Buddakan in The Pier at Caesars, Stephen Starr is doing just that.

The Continental, a global tapas restaurant and martini bar with a nostalgic yet modern coffeeshop vibe (think what the future looked like in the 1960's), and Buddakan, a trendy and gorgeous contemporary Asian-fusion restaurant, are drumming up a lot of buzz in Atlantic City - and rightly so.

The 2007 Zagat Restaurateur of the Year, who owns 16 restaurants in Philadelphia, New York and Atlantic City and plans to expand internationally, talked to CityAtlantic about himself, his restaurants and the future.

Why did you finally decide to come to Atlantic City?

Well, Atlantic City has always been a market I thought was untapped, and when Sheldon Gordon, who is the developer of The Pier, came to me two years ago, I thought it was a good opportunity. It is home... home is Philadelphia, but Atlantic City is basically the same thing. So unlike New York, which was difficult because it's farther away, Atlantic City was easy. And I really feel that it is a market that has been undervalued for a long time.

What have you learned so far about Atlantic City and its challenges? And how is it different from the other cities that you are in?

It is the most difficult place to do construction that we have ever seen. It is a very difficult environment for construction.

Why? What makes it so tough?

There is so much... the city. It is tough, a real challenge working with them. It's a challenge being on the pier in the middle of the ocean. There's the union challenges. It is just difficult.

Is Atlantic City a future culinary destination or is it already there?

I think Bobby Flay and Michael Mina and Wolfgang Puck at Borgata really brought it to the next level and established this town as a culinary destination. Before them, I don't think it was at all. I think now - with the success of those restaurants and ours - the floodgates will open and everyone will know that Atlantic City is a place where you can do business and can be appreciated.

What's the biggest difference between owning a place in New York and here and Philly, other then the initial problems that you had? Is it the same type of audience?

The audience in New York is slightly different. There is much more variety there for people to choose from. Plus, there are people from the entertainment industry, advertising, fashion... New York is the capital of the world. Atlantic City's audience is much like Philadelphia, although there is an older audience in Atlantic City.

Why are Stephen Starr restaurants so successful?

Some of the obvious answers that are not profound are: the food is great, the service is great. But the one thing that makes the difference is the ambiance and the design. I have spent a tremendous amount of time and sweat and money on the design of my restaurants.

Restaurants often try to have beautiful scenery and a great atmosphere, but they can't seem to get the other half of it right. You seem to pull it all together.

I think I was very fortunate. I think my company and the people that work for me have done a great job. But from the day I opened Continental and then Buddakan (in Philly), we were able to pull it all together. We were very lucky; we worked really hard. Most importantly, word was out there about the food and the service and that we were relentless in getting as close to perfect as we could. And after those first two established the benchmark, we said we have to be at least this good if not better on everything else we do.

Is that something that drove you? Did you go to places that sort of had one thing right and not the other and you didn't understand why that was the case?

I travel a lot and recognized that from a design standpoint there was some really cool stuff out there, but I knew that I could do better. And when I put together the food programs for our restaurants and the service, it was very easy. It was simply: what would I expect? I am my customer and that is how I approach everything.

How is Buddakan similar and different here and in the other locations?

Philadelphia and Atlantic City's Buddakans have a common thread... that being the Buddha and the community table. New York is totally different because we were copied in New York and could not go back into New York and do the same thing, so it is totally different. It cost $15 million dollars to do, and it is much larger than this one. This one cost about $9 million.

When you came up with the concept of Buddakan, what were you trying to accomplish?

Well, the Buddakan in Philadelphia was over 10 years ago. There were no modern Asia restaurants in Philadelphia or in the region just like there weren't any here before us. At that time, there were very few restaurants in Philadelphia. Striped Bass was the big thing, which I did not own then but I own it now. Susanna Foo had just opened and that was high-end Chinese, but very formal with tuxedoed waiters.

So I wanted to do something that was new, sexy, alive. Again, I am my customer and I was bored going out in Philly. I don't want waiters in tuxedos. I want to feel excited. Even if you're older and if you're married and have kids you want to feel single and like you're somewhere else. That was the point: to do a different kind of cuisine that was modern Asian and to create a different environment so that you felt like you were somewhere else.

When you saw the finished product here, were you impressed?

Yeah, I knew exactly what wanted we wanted to do. We hired a designer. We wanted to make this more of a set, a stage set. Like you're outside in some unspecified Asian village or town.

How important is it for The Pier to develop a late-night crowd?

Very important. We are still waiting for a club that is supposed to open here, and I am a little disappointed it didn't open with the rest of us. So we do want that to happen very badly. I think it could change everything here. We need a nightclub.

You're doing lunch at both Buddakan and Continental, which is unusual for Atlantic City restaurants. How is that working out?

We're doing well. I mean, it's not what it will be in the summer, but it was an unexpected success. I am pleasantly surprised. I didn't originally want to do lunch beginning in the winter, but it has been OK, especially at Continental.

What's the future for you in this town?

We will do more here if the offers are right. We would like to do something different that we haven't done anywhere else... a new concept.

What has to change in Atlantic City?

I think it needs to be a more business-friendly environment. You have to be able to get things done quicker here than it takes now. Something has to be done here that is similar to what Philadelphia went through when Ed Rendell was mayor and businesses were encouraged and hugged and coddled and treated like they were wanted there. Casinos are here, but I think that for entrepreneurs like myself, it has got to be easier to get things done.

Your whole career started more toward entertainment. Any cool stories you can tell?

I was a concert promoter, and I promoted big shows...Madonna, Jerry Seinfeld... there are a lot of stories. I don't know if I can remember one right now.

Do you miss being involved in that end of it?

I do miss concerts because they were fun and you did the show and it was over. In the restaurant business, it is never over, there is always something that can go wrong.

Do you see yourself getting back into that at all?

I want to promote one more show, and I know a lot of managers. My friend manages Bob Dylan, and I would like to promote one more concert to see my name: Stephen Starr. I don't care if I don't make any money, I would just like to do one more.

You claim to be obsessed with pop culture. What intrigues you right now with pop culture?

I am obsessed with musical trends that have no affect on my business, but I am intrigued with the way that music is being broken. Records and bands are being discovered through iTunes. I have a daughter who is 15, and I see music trends breaking through TV shows. I don't want to sound like an old fart where I think rock 'n' roll is coming back, but something is definitely happening, and I think the hip-hop thing is waning a little bit, and there is some other kind of music that is going to step in. And I am happy about that.

Is there someone you mentor yourself after?

No, I am really a strange guy because I'm not an old restaurateur and I don't look back. If I could have done anything, I would have been the producer of "Saturday Night Live." If I could come back again, I would come back as Lorne Michaels. In the hospitality business, I think (hotelier) Ian Schrager. I really admire him the most.

What do you still want to accomplish?

I want my kids to be happy. That would be my greatest accomplishment