Marlon's master plan

Few people, even in the restaurant world, talk as passionately about food and wine as Marlon Abela. Indeed, during the first two hours of our lunch at his latest acquisition, the Greenhouse in London, he talks of little else. He tells me about his recent trip to Corsica, from where he brought back partridges, baby wild boar, rare cheeses and 20 different kinds of sausages. He gives detailed explanations of the menus at his private members club Morton's, explains the unique cooking techniques his US restaurants will be using, and exhaustively lists the items that will be on offer at his planned pâtisserie chain next year.

For someone immersed in fine wine and food all this life, his enthusiasm is impressive. After all, this son of Lebanese entrepreneur Albert Abela, founder of the global contract caterer the Albert Abela Corporation, has grown up around some of the best five-star hotels and restaurants in the world. Some people could get blasé.

"I love products and discovering products from different provinces and areas. It's just what I do," the 28-year-old Abela explains. "I have a love and passion for restaurants. We've always been in the food business and I've been privileged to grow up in hotels where there were excellent restaurants. I guess it's part of my culture and upbringing."

That upbringing was divided between London and the South of France, where his father owned several four- and five-star hotels, including the Gray d'Albion in Cannes. Marlon got involved in the business from an early age. By his early 20s he was executive vice-president of the corporation, which included the Wood Company and Sogeres food service companies, with an annual turnover of $900m (£541m) and 20,000 employees.

Global expansion
After Albert Abela passed away, Wood and Sogeres were sold to Sodexho for $550m and the corporation was split between Marlon, his brother and uncle. It gave him the freedom to follow his interests and do what most restaurateurs might only dream of - build a global restaurant empire where standards and style are not entirely subordinate to financial constraints.

Abela has a plan. Through his recently formed company, the Marlon Abela Restaurant Corporation (MARC), he intends to open 30 restaurants in five years in London and the USA, and launch a pâtisserie chain into the bargain. He is reluctant to talk figures, but is investing in at least five fine-dining restaurants in London, with an average spend of £80 and above, over the next five years. He also sees potential in London for what he calls "Concept B" restaurants, which will offer casual fine dining with an average spend of £60 a head. Gaia or "Concept C" restaurants are opening in the US only, intended to bring a sophisticated, urban experience to America's suburbs.

In keeping with his enduring passion for ingredients, all the restaurants will be product-led. He will be opening three to four sites at a time and is confident that the fine-dining restaurants can attain two or three Michelin stars.

"Yes, we are very ambitious and we are aggressive, but this isn't fantasy," says Abela. "It's all do-able and we've got the management and capital to do it. This is a serious business we involved in."

Abela has also done his homework on the markets he is entering and is convinced MARC will be plugging gaps, both in London and the USA.

"There's a gap in the market in terms of all our projects. Where do you go if you want to eat fine dining in London these days?" he asks. "Gordon does fine dining very well, but Marco doesn't do it anymore and Nico is out. You've got places like the Square and Pied … Terre but apart from that, I think the glory days of fine dining in London has past. The restaurant scene in London is dynamic, but it would be nice to see some new players. If you don't have them, a place can get stagnant."

The Greenhouse is to be MARC's flagship Concept A restaurant. Bought in 2001, it will close next month for refurbishment, ready for opening with a new interior, garden and menu and the largest wine list in London with 2,500 bins, in February.

Meanwhile, Morton's private members club, which he also acquired in 2001, opened after a substantial refurbishment last June with Antonin Bonnet as executive chef.

Abela's third London restaurant so far will be Japanese. The yet-to-be-named Concept B eaterie opens in November, in Bruton Place. More sites, existing or new, are being sought out for openings next year. His first concept C restaurant opened in Connecticut, USA, last week.

What remains to be seen is whether Abela's plan works. Setting up 30 restaurants in five years, gaining Michelin stars and retaining high standards at the same time, is a tall order. Abela doesn't lack confidence however. And, as well as running global catering company since his early twenties, his business acumen and financial backing will, arguably, give him a better chance than most.

"My father taught me to be confident," Abela replies when I ask him if he feels daunted by the task ahead of him. "He was such a dynamic man, a real entrepreneur, and that's what I'm used to. I can't imagine doing it differently. I know it seems like a lot, but to me it just feels natural."

The plan…

The Marlon Abela Restaurant Corporation will establish three categories of restaurant, opening 30 over the next five years. Openings will be through new sites, an aggressive acquisition strategy and relaunching existing brands such as the Greenhouse and Morton's.

• Concept A: Abela is planning on opening a minimum of five stand-alone fine-dining restaurants within five years in London, followed by Paris and New York with an average spend of around £80 per head including wine. These restaurants will be two- or three-Michelin-star standard and represent MARC flagships. Patrick Willis is chief operating officer
• Concept B: These will be casual fine-dining stand-alone restaurants primarily in London, the USA (East and West coasts), and other European cities. Average spend will be between g60 and g90, with about 60-200 covers at each restaurant. First to open in London will be a Japanese restaurant, in Bruton Place, next year.
• Concept C: This suburban branded concept is specifically targeted at the US market with an average spend of $35-$40 (£20-£25) a head. The aim is to bring urban America to the suburbs, offering sophisticated menu and stylish decor. Operations manager is Christian Palikuca, former operations director for Daniel Boulud and Club Med. Chef is Bjorn Vanderhorst, former chef for Alan Ducasse, former head chef at Picholin, New York. The menu is divided into land and sea; while certain dishes will be cooked sous vide and served in glass jars.
• Napa Wines: Abela's wine-buying company currently holds 120,000 bottles in stock and will be supplying wines to the restaurants. The wine list at the Greenhouse will increase to 2,500 bins from 300 next year. Wine buyer is Jean-Marc Heurliere.
• Pâtisserie chain: Philippe Conticini will consult on this "fine dining" pâtisserie chain, tailor-made for the UK market. The first site is expected to open in July 2004.

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