Brent Frederick, owner of Jester Concepts, says a key ingredient in the growth of the hospitality company behind restaurants including Parlour and Borough was one that failed.
Jester Concepts has expanded in the past decade as the Twin Cities chef-driven restaurant scene has boomed. The group also operates P.S. Steak, Monello, Constantine and Mercado in Minneapolis and a concession in a sports venue.
In addition to overseeing Jester Concepts, Frederick is working to help others benefit from his experience and avoid missteps like those that led to the 2017 closing of Coup d'Etat after a three-year run in Minneapolis' Uptown neighborhood. One issue in that case was not doing enough research into whether people who lived nearby would support the offering.
Frederick shares lessons learned and insider knowledge as widely as possible through platforms including a Twin Cities restaurant leadership group, a CEO roundtable and the Minnesota Restaurant Association (MRA).
An MRA board member, Frederick is working with others in the organization to develop a membership package that details how to get into the restaurant business.
Understanding the business side of running a restaurant is more critical with minimum wages rising to $15 an hour, Frederick said.
In response, Jester is focusing on costs "like crazy" and on retaining employees. Jester offers a health care option to its 250 employees and, Frederick said, was the first to join a new employee assistance program offering mental health services to restaurant workers.
As one idea to pare costs, Jester may launch a butcher shop or bakery to supply its restaurants and those of others, Frederick said.
