Special Events Help Fuel Growth at Hilltop 1892

Today, Scoop debuts a four part Q&A series to examine how four new food businesses are doing after a year in business in Novato.

In interviews with principals, we explored what they discovered about doing business in Novato — the pros and cons.

This week we talk with Erick Hendricks about his work in reopening the former Hilltop Café, which debuted as Hilltop 1892 on July 19, 2010. We also spoke with his chef Jack Harris, who shared with Scoop the new dishes he’s debuting on his menu next week.

Hendricks took on the monumental task of remodeling and bringing the former cafe — open in way form or another since the 1930s — up to code and into the modern world of dining. Now it has become one of the jewels of Novato’s dining scene.

Q: What were some of the challenges you faced in re-establishing Hilltop?

A: The place needed so much improvement. We worked with the owners of the building, Anna Young and her sisters Katherine and Joan. I own the business; they own the building. I have a 30-year lease and the landlords gave me tenant improvements to help with the refurbishment. The ADA improvements (facilitating disabled access) alone cost around $100,000.

Q: Do you live in Novato?

A: No, we live in Sausalito in a condo with our 3-year-old. We’re trying to move to Novato.

Q: Any lessons learned about Novato?

A: I am very involved with the Chamber of Commerce (they often have their mixers at Hilltop) and I was pleased to participate in their program called Leadership Novato. About 20 people from the community donate one day a month for nine months learning about all aspects of Novato. We met with and received presentations from police and fire, visited Homeward Bound, learned Novato history and worked on a project with our individual teams.  Michael Frank, the city manager, was on my team. Our project was the Novato Theater. I helped Bernice Baeza (executive director of the Lark Theater) with her Facebook page.

Q: For months you have been plagued by a rumor campaign, which intimated Hilltop wasn’t doing well. I have heard your manager was leaving, your chef was leaving, that you were losing $20,000 to $30,000 a month and were quietly for sale. What do you say to those rumors?

A: If I was losing $20,000 to $30,000 a month, I wouldn’t even be here. I come from a financial background (Charles Schwab) and I know how to run a company. If I was having that kind of leakage, I could make it run lean. That just isn’t the case.

On Mother’s Day we did 600 covers. I also noticed people are spending more, ordering appetizers, not just entrees.

We’ve also seen tremendous growth in our special events. In fact, we discontinued Saturday lunch so we could accommodate all the bridal showers, ladies’ luncheons and other special events. We’ve also hosted the Fireman’s Fund, BioMarin and the Buck Institute. I see that that is where the growth is.  We’re doing about 15 a month now.

Q: You continue to do some promotions as well.

A: Yes, we have “prime rib Mondays” when we serve a petite prime rib, 12 ounces, for $22 and a 16 ounce cut for $26. It comes with creamed spinach and a loaded baked potato or garlic mashed potatoes. Our prime rib is from Golden Gate Meats, which just opened a second facility in Santa Rosa. I also started the 1892 Club. We keep track of a patron’s expenditures and when they reach $250, we automatically credit their membership card with $25.

Q: How is it going with your chef, Jack Harris? And your menu? What have been the hits or misses?

A: Well, fries with eyes (fried smelts) were well received at first, but then not as much. Late last year we had trouble sourcing them. We might bring them back. The duck is doing very well. I think Jack has come into his own. This is his first executive chef position.

(At that moment, Harris stops by the table and joins us.)

Q: What’s new chef, what are you working on?

Harris: I have a few dishes coming on the menu next week: grilled asparagus topped with a perfectly poached egg, sweetbreads in vol-au-vents with a brandy sauce and a mostly boneless half chicken “cooked under a brick.” My goal here is to hit the farmers markets hard, to source as much as I can from local farms.