Situation
We were awarded the opportunity to launch Major Food Group’s newest restaurant ventures in Manhattan’s iconic Seagram building. Formerly home to the legendary Four Season Restaurant, the Seagram tapped Major Food Group to oversee an astonishing restoration and bring an updated feel to the landmark location with the launch of:
» THE GRILL, Chef/Partner Mario Carbone’s elegant rendition of the classic Manhattan chophouse.
» The Pool, a fish and seafood-focused menu by Chef/Partner Rich Torrisi.
» The Lobster Club, an eye-popping, Picasso-inspired Japanese eatery designed by architect
Peter Marino and helmed by Michelin-starred chef Tasuku Murakami. The objective was to creative a multi-level, year-long strategy around each launch that would create worldwide attention for New York’s most anticipated restaurant openings. With a cult-like following in New York, Major Food Group was particularly interested in international media coverage to establish awareness among high-end travelers to New York.
Action
We strategized and executed a robust media relations campaign encompassing the three restaurant openings. Carefully selecting media contacts at major publications including T Magazine, Wall Street Journal Magazine, Vogue.com and Food & Wine for exclusives, we secured first-looks and behind the scenes tours that created buzz leading up to each opening.
Additional targeted pitching to our expansive network generated top international, national and key regional print, online and broadcast placements. In addition, we identified, secured and hosted top-tier media in each restaurant throughout their opening phases to personally experience the spaces in exchange for feature coverage and reviews.
Results
Extensive regional and national coverage was garnered, leading to top accolades in the first year of opening. These included the Best Restaurants of 2017 from New York Times’ food critic Pete Wells, Best New Restaurants in America 2017 by Esquire, Eater’s Best Restaurants of 2017 and more. Ranging from broadcast segments including a TODAY show cooking segment with Chef Mario Carbone highlighting Major Food Group and THE GRILL, to multi-page features in long-lead national outlets including Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, GQ, Surface and Departures, the restaurants reached diverse audiences. Key regional features were garnered in New York Magazine, MANHATTAN, GOTHAM and more. Exclusive “first looks” hit on BonAppetit.com, Vogue.com and FoodandWine.com leading up to the openings. International luxury publications including Vanity Fair Spain, FT:Weekend, NetJets, LUXURY and Watch Journal were additional audiences reached.
