The unable perks in a larger restaurant space

A version of this post was originally appeared on May 14, 2025, in the Punch Teater and Newsletter Pre ShiftA BIWEEKLY Newsletter for the Pro Industry that the first person's sources from Bar and Restaurant World.

This Send is the second in a four-part series of restaurant growth, presented to meters. Organize all your orders – Dine-in, online, and third parties – and carry out a flash, Right from your POS. Subscribe now For more stories like this.

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whenAccording to co-owner of owner and Director of Wine Ryan Bailey

Where: Los Angeles
The growth: Jon Yao opened Kato in a LA Strip mall in 2016 as a small operation. Restaurant, with – $ 55 and – $ 80 tasting menus, a media media of food: In 2019, it got a Michelin star and the Times of Los Angeles'101 best list of restaurants. Although the team plans to expand, Covid-19 accelerates the action requirement. At 2022, cyst opens In greater space and builds menus, beverage programs, and staff. Here, co-owner, operation director, and wine director Ryan Bailey explains what it is like to take so great restaurant.
Size of the restaurant by 2020: 850 square feet, 24 seats (20 meal meals, 4 bars)
Size of restaurant today: 4,700 square squares, 56 seats (48 meals in dining, 6 bar, 2 ada bar)

To find a space

We don't think we need over 4,500 square miles. But what let us do is go out with our tables 3-plus feet so guests comfortably eating at home. We hide that because it gives our guests a sense of intimacy. We have a patio outside. We also didn't use it, but we're excited to have that – we should do the Identification outside at another point in time, we don't have to build it in a parking lot.

In the menu structure

The old space is always a menu. In the new space, we have three different menus every night. In the main dining table, we offer a menu of 12 courses, plus or minus one, and a three-hour food experience. At first we opened, we had à la carte at the bar.

Because of the inability to do that, I can't give you time to wait because some people order a lot and some people are outside the time of meal time. About an hour and a half, seven courses, and consist of our classic dishes and favorites. We want a space for people traveling internationally or read about these dishes before. We also have two bar seats we have provided for walk-in-ininks and La carte bites.

Wonho Frank Lee

To a thorough liquor program

The old space does not have a liquor license, so only drink options are sparking water and tea. We think that if our dreams will build an iconic la restaurant and have a multicourse tasting menu, we must build a wine program that changes that. We now have 3,000 wine-wine choices and over 15,000 bottles. We give two pairs of night to go with food.

Our cocktail program has also developed a lot – we have a whole pantry for that. We also placed a large emphasis on developing a program without alcohol. We go with three options to drink with about 3,500 options to drink people. Alcohol brings between 15 and 20 percent of our income. If you look at that in terms of an à la carte restaurant that might serve more cocktails, that's actually pretty low, but because our menu is $ 325, that skews the percentage upward toward the food.

In the benefits of expansion operation

We have more hands to free work, allowing more time to develop new dishes. We have a way wide wide pantry. We now remember the waste: In the old space, we never have anywhere to put things up if we are not used (they), we can attach it to other projects. We have a lot of cold storage, so we can get more straw to things and work directly to farmers.

To staff up

We have many individual roles for people. Nikki Reginaldo, my general manager and new partner manager, doing everything and now I can focus on a better visitor experience. On our way, our team grows. To grow our team, we can give people many times.