Soby’s New South Cuisine, Leading the Way
There’s nothing like getting together with family and friends and going out for an exciting evening on the town, heading to your favorite downtown restaurant. With the holidays fast approaching, I look forward to another such an experience and it prompted me to share some thoughts here on The Trident.
Have you ever visited a town and tried to find some place that embodied the city…that somehow captured its feel, its culture, and gave you the sense that you had arrived at your destination, that, now, you were “in?” Usually, it’s where the people are. That’s not an easy place to find.
When going back home to Greenville, South Carolina, I always look forward to spending time in the reinvented downtown. It means getting outdoors, visiting the Falls Park, drifting through the Mast General Store for another South Carolina-themed sweatshirt or crescent-and-palmetto window sticker, ogling the latest racing bikes in Carolina Triathlon just up the street, or strolling by the headquarters of Hincapie Sports, wondering if cycling titan “Big George” is back home from his latest battle, somewhere around the globe. Main Street has received a lot of attention from the likes of Southern Living, and is abuzz with specialty shops, pubs and restaurants, art galleries, nearby performance theatres, concert halls, and an outdoor jazz series. And, for me, the Greenville experience is really not complete without a visit to a restaurant called Soby’s.
[As one of five dining concepts within the corporation known as Table 301, Soby’s is one of several projects of upstate entrepreneur Carl Sobocinski. From all I’ve seen, Table 301 is showing leadership in the community. In another follow-up article…after the holiday rush…perhaps we’ll be able to talk with the leader himself. But this article will be a personal one, written as a loyal Soby’s fan, sharing some thoughts from the outside looking in.]
Pop Quiz: What is it that the folks in that crowd at Soby’s are really paying for? Why are they there and not somewhere else?
I think many people would tell us that Soby’s is a key element, perhaps a leader, in the revitalization…the cultural revolution…that is Greenville, S.C. And I don’t believe that is by accident. Perhaps we can get into details later but, for now, I want to use the broad brush regarding business and leadership…and not just the restaurant business.
Let’s be blunt. Many restaurants, even good ones, are merely restaurants because, in their minds, they are in the restaurant business. I get the feeling that Soby’s is not in the restaurant business. In downtown Greenville, Soby’s is something much more than a mere restaurant, because it actually strives to be something more than a mere restaurant. Witness their own description of themselves:
“Soby’s is a perfect reflection of Greenville and the Upstate. Fresh, creative dishes inspired by rich, Southern traditions and infused with new, International flavors. An exciting urban energy in a warm, inviting space.”
If you have not visited upstate South Carolina, this may seem like an overstuffed phrase filled with trendy buzzwords. If, however, you have spent time there, then chances are, you just said, “bingo.” You likely feel that someone has done a fine job of putting your experience there into words.
Remember my question.
What is it that the folks in that crowd at Soby’s are really paying for? Why are they there and not somewhere else?
Every business…certainly a restaurant…had better have a good reason for opening its doors. “Why do we deserve to exist?” It seems that Soby’s exists to be “a perfect reflection of Greenville and the Upstate.” In other words, that is their signature, the impression that their guests seem to value. It’s what makes them different.
Do you realize that, what is embodied in that descriptive phrase is a certain lifestyle? Think about it. Do you have a favorite restaurant or store that is a bit different from the rest, where it is not completely about the product you buy there, but also simply because you just like to shop there? Don’t tell me you make your automobile purchase simply for utilitarian reasons, based on its safety rating, and not because it fits a lifestyle you want for yourself. What about the clothes you wear?
People don’t look forward to Soby’s because they’re hungry and need to eat. They go to Soby’s because they want to experience something. (it may not just be the crab cakes)
In this case, I think the Soby’s team has identified what makes them, not just good restaurant that provides good food and service, but something more than that, what gives Soby’s that sparkle of something special in the eyes of their guests. Let me emphasize “special,” and not “good.” Think in terms of Jim Collins’ research in Good to Great. The clue is in that “perfect reflection of Greenville and the Upstate.” It has something to do with the culture first, and the food, energy, and warmth follow its lead. It has to do with the experience. It seems to be what makes the place special to people, the food so irresistible, and the atmosphere so magnetic.
It has to do with a lifestyle. Soby’s is in the hospitality business, actually selling an experience that people like to have as part of their lives, and to share with friends and family…a lifestyle.
“Soby’s is a perfect reflection of Greenville and the Upstate. Fresh, creative dishes inspired by rich, Southern traditions and infused with new, International flavors. An exciting urban energy in a warm, inviting space.”
Whether the Soby’s team thinks of it that way, we don’t know. But that’s really what happening here. But what does it matter? What is the impact of that understanding on the bottom line and on how you go about your business everyday? How might that fundamental mindset affect how you assemble your team, or the culture you build? Might it lead down a different path from the norm? It’s a big claim to stake. How do you live up to it?
If I’m right, then for Soby’s to sustain that element of “special,” they need to be closely in tune with the culture and community that they so clearly embody, wouldn’t you say? Or have they merely captured lightning in a bottle? Or do they even see it this way at all?
This leads to some larger leadership questions, some strategic-level community questions. It leads to a follow-on article that could shed some light on things. But, in the meantime, let me offer just a few clues, visible from afar.
>Newsletters from Table 301 perpetually list downtown events and activities, often promoting other downtown businesses.
During the recent economic downturn, Table 301 initiated an “Economic Stimulus Plan” of their own, with significant in-house coupons, even offering a list of weekly downtown activities for the entire family for minimal money…whether they ate at a Table 301 concept or not.
I also noted that Soby’s ”partnered” with other small businesses downtown in their promotions…businesses whom, I suspected, could use the exposure and affiliation.
A couple of years ago, Soby’s published the recipes for its signature dishes in an extraordinary cookbook, allowing folks to take some of that Soby’s experience home with them. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems to me that restaurant that sees its food as the be-all, end-all, will likely guard its recipes like precious treasure, and will not likely publish them for all the world to see. Why release it? Is a cookbook going to significantly affect your bottom line?
It seems to me that Soby’s is focused on being a valued part of people’s lives, and gaining long-term loyalty as a result of it, leading the way in the continued growth of a city, being part of that city experience for people, and doing what it can to bring along the local businesses with them. That team-mindedness is crucial to the recognition that their success is entwined.
To my eye, that would truly be “a perfect reflection of Greenville and the Upstate. Fresh, creative dishes inspired by rich, Southern traditions and infused with new, International flavors. An exciting urban energy in a warm, inviting space.”
There is leadership here, a team-mindedness that, when it is boiled all the way down, results in that excitement of heading downtown with family and friends for another evening at Soby’s. I see, in this particular business, an example of what we are seeing in the entreprenuerial research, of businesses that are becoming something more than the business itself. And what we find surrounding these businesses is Passion…inside, and outside.
That’s just my view from the outside. And I look forward to getting inside when I get back home.
The Point
Are we selling our business short? Are we really tuned in to what are customers are really after…not just settling for? Are we missing out on possibilities out of short-sightedness? And are we focused on “doing” our business, or on accomplishing things with our business? We just may find that, in this increasingly dynamic environment, both excellence and endurance may more readily be found in those businesses that can successfully become more than the business itself…in the minds and hearts of its customers, tapping into their passions, their lives.
Business is not all science and numbers.
Just a little food for thought.
Trident Leadership presents: The Trident
Posted By: Jennifer DeVaul On: January 02, 2010 At: 1:36 pm
Very well said. I have had the priviledge of the “Soby’s experience” and it is truly a special place. I am not from Greenville but Soby’s is a place that makes you feel at home. It has a very warm inviting atmosphere. You don’t want to just eat and run, you want to stay and just hang out. The energy is alive and it is a place that you will remember and want to come back to. You can definitely feel the culture and you know that there is strength and power in the team, people sharing in a common direction and a sense of community.