His passion for the kitchen began at an early age in Nice, France and his journey began under famed chefs Jacques Maximin, Alain Chapel and Alain Ducasse, and then brought his French Riviera-style cooking to the United States with visions of one day operating his own. He opened his first restaurant, Allegretti, in New York City in 2008, followed by La Promenade de Anglais in Chelsea four years later and Azure by Allegretti on the Jersey Shore, in 2012. He has competed against celebrity chef, Bobby Flay, on Iron Chef, and he has prepared French cuisine for millions of viewers on The Martha Stewart Show and other national morning shows. Today, this renowned chef consults prestigious restaurants on the East Coast, while he cooks up the next chapter of his career. I recently sat down with celebrity French chef, Alain Allegretti to talk about food, entrepreneurship, and cooking up a legacy of greatness.
Who Made You: Allegretti credits much of his success to the many mentors who shaped his life and career along the way. His first and greatest mentor was his grandmother. He says he spent a great deal of time growing up in his grandparent’s farm on the French Rivieria coast and it was there where he formed an intense passion for preparing new and exciting meals using all different kinds of ingredients. Allegretti credits many of the great chefs who have taught him culinary excellence such as, Jacques Maximin, Alain Chapel, Alain Ducasse and many others. Allegretti's career spans from Le Cirque and New York City's Ritz Carlton highly-acclaimed restaurant, Atelier, where he earned one Michelin star. Allegretti says that there have been hundreds of team members, colleagues, and clients who have positively influenced who he is as a chef along the way. He says that each person we meet offers us a lesson of some kind, and that he has used the lessons he has learned to take his talents in the kitchen from Nice, France to New York City, where he has worked in prestigious kitchens, has built restaurant empires, and has created a brand name for himself along the way. Allegretti says he has met so many great people along the way and constantly surrounds himself with great business people that are going to allow him to continue building a great brand.
A Restaurant’s Recipe for Success: Allegretti is working on launching his next restaurant, which will focus on seafood and the influences he learned in France and Italy. Since closing Azure by Allegretti, he began consulting some wonderful restaurants on the East Coast. One of the most important things Allegretti hopes to contribute to the culinary world is to be a mentor and teach culinary excellence in the same way he was so blessed to have received along the way. For now, he will do that by consulting other chefs and restaurants while also curating his next restaurant concept.
Allegretti is focusing on a fun, casual and approachable concept that he hopes to template for various markets in and outside of the NYC market. He says that he has zero doubt that he and his team can deliver an exceptional experience. But, says Allegretti, that’s only one piece of the recipe. Allegretti says that restaurants in New York City come and go because of the exceptionally high real estate prices. He says that anyone can open a restaurant and cook, but understanding the complexity of the business side of things is crucial, while simultaneously balancing the neighborhood demographic. Doing your homework before the doors open is a recipe for not only success but for sustainability and longevity.
Allegretti also notes that the other big piece of his recipe is the selection of his partners. He says that a partnership is very much like a marriage, and that success for his next venture will be based on the knowledge and dynamic his partner will bring to the table for the long haul.
The Real Audience: Using TV as a vehicle to reach a bigger audience and the repeat customer.
When I asked Allegretti about his television appearances as a celebrity chef, he explained how important these appearances have been for him and how it has helped him reach a wide audience that may know him, as well. He understands the power of TV and feels so fortunate to have had the opportunity for many appearances on the national stage. He says that he never takes for granted that when a customer walks through the doors of his restaurant, they are choosing to spend their hard-earned money on an experience to be delivered by him and his team. He says that anybody can be great once, but being a great restaurant, requires consistently delivering an amazing experience every single time a customer walks through the door. He says success is not sustainable for any restaurant without repeat customers, and that his team is well aware of this paradigm every time they plate a meal. Allegretti says TV shows are fun, and he hopes to do more.
Colleagues or Competition: As far as competition goes in the restaurant business, Allegretti says he prefers to look at every competitor as a colleague. He says he understands the stress they are under and the amount of hard work that goes on behind the scenes to deliver a great experience. That being said, Allegretti says that whenever a colleague opens a new restaurant or writes a new book, he checks it out. Allegretti says that this is how he stays on top of what customers like, as well as, what the trends are in the industry. He says that when he gets to be a part of an amazing dining experience, he feels excitement for that chef, and it motivates Allegretti to get back into his own kitchen to keep trying new things and always challenge himself. Allegretti says that competition can motivate or deflate you, and he takes the opportunity to let every great colleague/competitor motivate him to be a better chef.
Allegretti is ready for his return to the New York dining scene and the potential of entering other markets on the East Coast. He will once again be at helm of his own kitchen, in the city that has been so good to him since arriving from France. Allegretti is confident and determined that he will be able to bring a concept that will complement the current New York City dining scene and offer a fun, delicious menu with unmatched hospitality.