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Temple Downtown is one of Providence’s most ambitious hotel and restaurant projects. We talk to GM Maggie Longo and discover the ups and some of the downs of waiting for the big opening day to come.
Temple Downtown is by any reasonable standard a daunting project. Taking a totally derelict building and converting it into a high-end hotel and restaurant is a pretty tough job whoever you are. Do it about 1000 feet away from the Capitol building and you have to know that your every move is being scrutinized.
Maggi Longo is the General Manager of the Restaurant and is currently supervising the gradual completion of the property and preparing for opening in a couple of months. We met in her nearby office and sitting amid samples of glasses and plates, she was quick to put herself and her restaurant colleagues in their proper perspective.
Q Hi Maggie, what’s the most daunting part of getting a large new restaurant like this off the ground?
Mostly the coordination of effort. You know, the determination of what goes where, when and where we get it from, and where its been. We’ve had our challenges dealing with the way the project’s been run with the union, with the developers and with the builders - we’re just a piece of a puzzle.
Q How long have you been working on this?
I’ve been here since August and the project’s been under way for over three years.
Q Tell me a little bit more about the background of the project
When Sage Hospitality Resources won the contract to develop the building, there was a big effort to stay true to the Masonic image, to the history and architecture of the building, so that has been the biggest challenge. We’ve kept the walls, gutted the inside and trying to work inside the shell that was built over 100 years ago - that was the biggest piece of the challenge.
Q What does it feel like to have responsibility for what is, to most people who live here, one of the most historic buildings in town?
Well, it’s an honor because we’re going to make it be what it was meant to be. It sat derelict its entire life, was never used except for one very small little space where my lounge is. It’s a big honor and a big responsibility - you don’t want to disappoint. I think there is a lot of expectation.
Q Give me a little bit of the background of Sage Hospitality?
Sage Hospitality has been in existence over 25 years and they are an operator of hotels all across the country. We’re currently branching out to Canada and the Caribbean. The Sage Restaurant Group is a relatively new division of Sage Hospitality Resources. We’ve been in existence a little over a year and this will be the first project that opens.
Q So how hard is it to get this done and move into restaurant mode?
It’s really hard. None of us are used to sitting this much. You know I’ve gained 15 pounds, for God’s sakes, because I’m not walking 10-12 hours a day. It’s difficult, it’s hard to do it all on paper or in your head, which is really still the stage that we’re at, but we’re getting there.
Q How are you going to discipline yourself to make that transition?
It’s easy, we’re chompin’ at the bit. There’s no discipline required. It’s what we know and we are ready.
Q As you struggle to lose weight,by running around, you’re going to have to recruit a whole bunch of staff, roughly how many and how are you going to do it?
In Temple Downtown as a whole, there will be approximately 100-125 people. We do have some arrangements with the city and the state both with Network Rhode Island which is the state and city’s arm to do recruiting. We are also committed to the 12th ward, which is the ward we’re located in.
Q Are you nervous about eventually opening?
No, never nervous, never nervous. That part doesn’t frighten me. The opening part - no not at all. The part that makes me nervous is how am I going to get everything here, how’s that going to work, because it’s a little different for me. It’s the coordination of effort, that gives me the willies, but then opening - no.
Q You’re going to have a soft opening, rather than a grand slam.
Right, then we’ll have a grand slam when we’re ready.
Q I understand you have a chef?
I do, his name is Patrick Clancey. We’re all excited to have Pat. He’s the executive chef in charge of the entire culinary operation here at Temple, which is quite complicated and convoluted, frankly. The hotel is basically our client and we service the hotel as well as running our own restaurant. So we’re really excited to have him. We’ve given him a lot of work on the menu – he’s probably more itchy than all of us, because he doesn’t have a kitchen at the moment.
Q I saw him working on the menu, what does the menu look like?
I have a great term that no one will let me use, so think - new American bistro - think brasserie style, great value, lot of local goods, lot of local product, trying to stay to our region as much as we can, trying to cook seasonally as opposed to out of season.
Q And the price point?
Very moderate, to be quite honest, especially given the look of the space. Entrees at dinner will run you any where from $15 to $22. That’s huge value in this town.
Q You have an interesting mix there, high-end and value for money, so how would you classify the restaurant?
Accessible, comfortable, easy. You know I can’t change the physicality of the space, I can’t change this building, I have to work with it and I want to be true to it because it is a very grand building, but I also want someone to come more than once a week or to feel like they can come see me for lunch, then come see me for dinner. Or hang out in the morning and steal my wireless and drink coffee. Sit at the bar, whatever works for them. Almost like a living room, in a lot of ways.
Q Sounds very cool. So put it in place, what’s the competition in Providence, how do you fit into that?
Well, you know, there’s nothing like us when it comes to the mix of the space and the food, really. When it comes to the competition, my market, where do I see them now? My location helps set some of my market, it will give us a lot of the downtowners, both residential folks who are now moving downtown and the business people. So that market is pretty much spread out amongst the big names in the city and I intend to reel some of those guys in.
Q And presumably the politicos over the hill there will be trotting across as well?
I’m going to think that they’re just going to walk across the lawn. I’m sure they will.
We thanked Maggie and headed out the door. Personally, I can’t wait for the restaurant to open in the next month or so.
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