Saratoga News

Photograph by Robert Scheer

David Mongiello, a waiter at Chateau La Cresta, sets outdoor tables in anticipation of a party from Hewlett-Packard.

Summer restaurant sales on the increase

But Village restaurants are reporting smaller numbers than expected

By Sarah Lombardo

With another summer winding down, Village restaurateurs are giving mixed reports about the success of business this year, the first after the return of The Mountain Winery summer music series.

Bill Cooper, owner of Bella Saratoga at 14503 Big Basin Way, said his restaurant has seen an increase in business over last year, but not a huge jump.

"It's not significant this year because so many of the concerts are on weeknights, so by the time people get off work, there isn't much time to stop and dine," he said. "But we are having a better summer than last year. I think people are discovering Saratoga through the concert series."

Joseph Masek, owner of La Mere Michelle at 14467 Big Basin Way, said the concert series has not led to any increase in his business. Masek said the series brings a lot of traffic into town, but doesn't benefit his restaurant. Like Cooper, Masek cited The Mountain Winery's midweek concerts as the cause. "It's too early. [Concert-goers] have to go home and change and go straight up to the concert," he said.

Some restaurants said many people skip dinner in the Village in favor of dining at Chateau La Cresta, located at the winery itself.

But Mark Karakaf, owner of Chateau La Cresta, said his restaurant has seen busier seasons, also citing the midweek rush from work to concert as one reason preventing concert patrons from sitting down to a meal. Although he did admit his restaurant probably sees more concert-related dinner business than the Village restaurants.

"People are just rushing up here from work to find parking and all," he said. "It's for convenience. It's unfortunate for Village merchants but fortunate for us that people are just choosing to eat up here before the show."

On the other hand, Robert Harris, general manager of Trattoria Restaurant at 14510 Big Basin Way, said the series has had a significant effect on his business. "This year has been good. The weeks that [the winery] has something going, we have an increase," he said. "Our dinners are earlier so people can make it to the concert, but, yes, since they have begun doing stuff up there again, we have seen an increase."

The summer series, which ran at The Mountain Winery for 38 years, was absent from Saratoga in 1996, and an abbreviated series was presented in 1995, the year the winery changed hands from developer Ray Collishaw to Mountain Winery Company Ltd., and businessman Ravi Kumra. In those two years, local restaurants complained that they had lost business without the music series.

After negotiations between the city and Kumra broke off at the end of last summer, it looked as though the hillside venue might remain dark for one more year. But in January, Montalvo officials announced that in an agreement with Kumra, Montalvo would revive and manage the series, in addition to its own successful concert series at Villa Montalvo.

According to Montalvo Executive Director Elisbeth Challener, ticket sales for the 25 Mountain Winery concerts have already reached 35,000 to date. And sales, the profits from which go to Montalvo's many outreach and artist programs, are expected to go even higher because tickets for some of the big-name shows are still available. "We are very pleased with the ticket sales at the winery, especially in its inaugural year under Montalvo's management," she said. "They exceeded our expectation, actually, from the get-go."

Challener said she is aware the midweek performances make it difficult for patrons to plan a full evening out. "A lot of people just catch food where they can," she said. But she added that Montalvo will present more than 60 concerts at the winery next season.

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