Steakhouse boss’s diligence ensures service is well done

Hawaii’s first Ruth’s Chris Steak House opened 25 years ago, and its lease has just been renewed by franchisee Randy Schoch.

Its younger Waikiki sister-restaurant is the highest-grossing Ruth’s Chris franchise in the world, but he still loves his Waterfront Plaza baby, purchased in 1994 from nationally known restaurateur Paul Flem­ing (of P.F. Chang’s fame).

At the time, the restaurant was struggling, but Schoch now operates five Ruth’s Chris restaurants in the islands. The others are in Lahaina and Wai­lea on Maui and in the Mauna Lani Resort on Hawaii island.

He opened the Wai­kiki location concerned that it is on the second floor, but that concern has been more than allayed.

He credits not just the visitor industry, which fluctuates, but the area’s luxury and other high-end retail development as well as the Wai­kiki Beach Walk development, all of which have upscaled the area.

"We didn’t know it would be this good," he said.

About 40 percent of diners at the Wai­kiki Ruth’s Chris are local, and many of them choose the location for special events.

A much larger percentage of the clientele at the Waterfront Plaza Ruth’s Chris, perhaps 95 percent, is local.

During an interview last week, Schoch, president of Desert Island Restaurants, was rearranging sweetener packets in a ceramic container while answering a question. He was doing it unconsciously until Vice President Jay Kane­shiro deftly removed the container, leading to further conversation about the "Exceed Expectations" pins employees wear.

"We need to exceed the expectations of our guests, of our team members and our investors and shareholders," he said.

Kaneshiro noted how, when a salad was served at the table, Schoch slid the back of his hand forward to touch the edge of the plate. It’s a reflex, Schoch explained.

"Hot food should be served on hot plates, and cold food should be served on cold plates," and checking plates is another automatic response, he said.

"I don’t go into (one of my) restaurants and immediately check to see what we’re doing right; I am looking to see what we can be doing better," he said.

While the Ruth’s Chris locations serve the expected Ruth’s Chris menu, the Hawaii locations have flexibility. "We’re doing oyster shooters," for instance, Schoch said.

Also, following an experience Schoch had elsewhere, the bartender at the Waterfront Plaza location will now freshly zest a swath of lime to twist into a cocktail, instead of adding an anemic sliver that’s been sitting in a chill-box for who-knows-how-long.

The company will host a summit for its bar staff, to bolster policies and procedures, beef up best practices and work on making what they do already even better, Kane­shiro said.

The restaurant employs in-house cues and training so that each staffer who sees an anniversary table or birthday table will greet the guest and offer them good wishes, and guests also leave with a mahalo gift.

"We make husbands look so good," said Emi Espinda, regional director of sales and marketing.

Close to 8,000 reservations at Ruth’s Chris Waterfront Plaza in 2013 were for special occasions, she said.

The "Exceed Expectations" pins are not just for Schoch’s Ruth’s Chris restaurants; it’s a Desert Island Restaurants practice, which extends to his other concepts, he said.

Schoch also is the Hawaii franchisee for Romano’s Macaroni Grill. His first opened at Ala Moana Center in 2005, and the second opened at Wai­ko­loa Beach Resort on Hawaii island in 2008. The two Hawaii Romano’s units are among the highest-grossing Romano’s Macaroni Grills in the U.S.

As a lifelong restaurant industry person who knows what it is like to be a franchisee, he also launched a couple of franchises himself.

Schoch’s own Thai­foon-Taste of Asia concept, established in 2001, was presented the "Hot Concept" Award by Nation’s Restaurant News in 2004. Thai­foon opened locations in Scottsdale, Ariz.; Salt Lake City; and Irvine and Newport Beach, Calif.

His Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill restaurant concept debuted in Denver in 2005 and was followed by additional stores in Anchorage, Alaska; Chandler and Scottsdale, Ariz.; Boise, Idaho; Reno, Nev.; and Dallas. Another will open in Minneapolis this year.

The exact date of the 25th anniversary of Ruth’s Chris was April 16, but local commemorations will await a freshening up of the Waterfront Plaza location.

The whole kitchen will be redone, and a raft of front-of-the-house updates will be made as well, with minimal interruption of operations, Schoch said.

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Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.