Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself
A lot has changed; but also little has changed. Some background...In 2017, Chris and I found a small space on Columbia Street and began to raise money. Our business plan read:
POPINA is not only a restaurant but a meeting place that allows us to share what truly makes us happy: the love of eating, cooking, drinking well, and entertaining. Popina will be an extension of these sensibilities giving our neighbors a place that feels like theirs. Whether catching up with an old friend or making new ones, Popina will satisfy the wants, and nourish the needs of our neighbors.
From the jump, our goal was to host our neighbors and be the best damn restaurant we could be. The restaurant any neighborhood would love to have; but also good enough to make a trip for. I began each pre-service line reminding the staff why we, and other neighborhood restaurants, are so important. Our mission was to delight guests, so when they left Popina: they were better than when they arrived.
Sounds easy enough, right?
Much of what I learned about hospitality was working for Danny Meyer at Union Square Hospitality Group. I had the pleasure of working at Tabla, Maialino, and Marta, all which shaped me and how I know how to run my business. When I was writing our employee manual I started with the basics -- hospitality, open-handed food drops, proper wine service, and ways to enhance a guest's experience. But then I remember a quote that took center stage and would be the bedrock to our training manual. Its a quote often attributed to Maya Angelou (and if you're familiar, Danny Meyer) that reads:
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
I thought that was pretty powerful stuff. Kinda like the "Play Like a Champion Today" sign the Fighting Irish touch before a game. The food, the drink, the warmth of hospitality...its all a means of making people feel better and more connected. Everyone is different, so there's no set formula -- but that's why I love it so much. New York City is filled with diversity, different people with different circumstances. No matter what, life could get hard and we turn to restaurants and gathering spaces to cope. We also want to make good days better, whether a celebratory occasion or just enjoying the season's best weather.
All that remains our mission, so whats changed? Well, we have. Earlier this year, Chris and I split the restaurants, which meant he took Gus's (formerly Gus's Chop House) and I took Popina. We're fortunate that the split of these restaurants has been amicable and I wish nothing but the best for Chris and Gus's. Collectively, we continue to deliver what we think this community wants and needs: great places to gather, dine, and entertain. What a gift we're charged with upholding.
How are we doing it? Well, small improvements go a long way. We've taken on several projects to ensure Popina is the neighborhood destination you choose to visit time and time again -- redecorating the Covered Patio, landscaping the backyard and fixing up the bocce court, refreshing our one and only bathroom, and making our dining room cozy and inviting. We will always strive to make Popina feel more welcoming, more familiar, and can't wait for you to visit and experience it for yourself.
Any great neighborhood restaurant is accessible and flexible to suit any of your plans, so during the warmer months, the backyard will be open for lunch on the weekends (1-3:30PM), and we'll begin to offer an aperitivo service before dinner starts, complete with a spritz bar, snacks, and flexible space -- giving our neighbors a place to be, anytime of the day.
Can't make it to Popina, and want to stay connected? This portion of the website will be an extension of us. We will loop you in on what we've got cooking, whether it's new dishes inspired by the farmers market, upcoming Wine Trips (Abruzzo here we come!), and summer pop-ups and special events. We'll spotlight our dedicated team and our industry friends doing cool stuff. It will be a place for the community -- both near and far.
Thank you for reading, and see you at Popina soon.
-James