Senator Inn & Spa Unveils New Restaurant Concept
January 3, 2005
Cooks Fight National Restaurant Trend
Senator Inn & Spa Unveils New Restaurant Concept
(Augusta, ME) Vern and Betsy Cook, owners of the Senator Inn & Spa Restaurant in Augusta, are turning up the heat on their national restaurant chain competitors. Never known for complacency, the Cooks will unveil a new restaurant concept that has been simmering for more than a year.
The new restaurant, aptly named Cloud 9 at the Senator Inn & Spa, will feature gourmet brick oven pizza and freshly-made Italian style pasta in addition to the creative cuisine and desserts the Senator has been known for over the years. Gone are the furniture, fixtures and white tablecloths symbolic of the Senator’s heretofore semi-formal dining experience. In their place, Cloud 9 diners will see stylish new tables and chairs, colorful wall art created by local artisans and nine individually shaped, blue and white cloud murals recessed into the ceiling - the inspiration behind the new name.
Given the popularity of the current restaurant with hotel guests, locals, and the regular business crowd of Maine's Capital, some have questioned the move to a new concept. In fact, the Senator Inn and Spa was just voted the Greater Augusta’s best restaurant for seven years in a row by Market Surveys of America in November. So why make changes now?
“The fact is that we have seen a slow, but steady decline in our restaurant business over the past several years,” says Vern Cook. “In great part, this is due to the proliferation of national chains in the Greater Augusta area.”
Over the past few years, Applebee's, Panera Bread and the Olive Garden, among others, have opened their doors in Augusta. With the new competition from these national chains, independent restaurants like the Senator have seen their local traffic trend downward. “We decided it was time to fight back,” says Vern, “and we think Cloud 9 is the right concept at the right time.”
The Cooks quest for a new restaurant concept began with a comprehensive market study, including one-on-one interviews with restaurant guests.
“What we discovered,” says co-owner Betsy Cook, “is that people want variety and will choose many different restaurants to give them that variety. We also found that while price plays a role in a customer’s willingness to go to a specific restaurant for a specific occasion, the appeal of the overall experience - from food to ambience to service - is a more important motivator in the minds of the restaurant goers.”
The Cooks also learned, that for many local consumers, the Senator Inn & Spa Restaurant had become more of a “special occasions” restaurant. That perception had to change in order for the Cooks to build upon their long-established success in the restaurant business.
“Our goal was to create a restaurant experience that is fulfilling on so many levels that our guests will want to come back every week, not just two or three times a year,” says Betsy.
A trip to Italy this spring and visits to many bistros and restaurants throughout the countryside provided the inspiration behind the new concept and menu. The freshly made pastas and brick oven pizzas they encountered in Italy, delivered in a casual but stimulating environment, seemed to be the missing link in the Cooks' quest for a bold new restaurant concept.
“People want variety in a casual dining experience with quality service and great food,” says Vern. “And they want a menu that fits their budget. We think Cloud 9 at the Senator Inn & Spa delivers exactly what the restaurant consumer wants today.”
The Senator Inn & Spa is a full-service hotel located on Western Avenue, just off exit 109A from I-95 in Augusta. The property features Augusta’s favorite restaurant, a state-of-the-art spa and fitness facility, an indoor mineral pool and romantic spa suites with fireplaces and Jacuzzi tubs for its guests.
For more information, visit www.senatorinn.com or contact Vern Cook at 207-622-8800 ext. 100.
