Jonathan Morr

Jonathan Morr

Bond St. Republic. Stand. It would be easy to call Jonathan Morr a restaurant visionary. But that’s only half the story. He was also the force behind APT, the forefather of such fixtures as Soho House and Norwood, and is the owner of the highly successful Townhouse Hotel in South Beach. We recently stole a moment with our friend and colleague to ask him about the secrets of his success.

Base: You managed the Royalton’s 44 in its heyday. What was the most important thing you took away from that experience?
Jonathan Morr: The Royalton changed my whole career path. I had nothing to do with downtown at that time. I’d never heard of Studio 54. I didn’t know anyone. I was working at the Stanhope! The Royalton introduced me to fashion and media—Conde Nast—and changed my whole way of looking at NYC. It’s great because that’s what NYC is about. Wall St, fashion, and media. All the major US magazines come from NYC. I met everyone and it was a lot of fun catering to them. At the time, Calvin Klein was… I mean, I wore his underwear. Then I started seeing him twice a week!
Also, working with Ian, within an Ian/Philippe environment, you pick up on it and learn it. They were at the top of their game. So much so that when I was working on Townhouse, it was difficult not to think Delano!

B: You’re from Israel. Lived in London and Paris. Why did you choose to establish roots here in New York?
JM: Complete fluke. I was not meant to be here. I was not American at all. Between Africa, where I went to English schools… I’d only been to the States once when I was on a trip, at age 18. But when I finished school, I had a good friend in NYC who said, “Why don’t you come and get a job?” So I said, “I’ll come for two weeks. If I get a job, I’ll stay.” And I did. I was the Fine Dining Manager at the HIlton in Short Hills. The GM, Eric Long, was phenomenal. He’s now at the Waldorf. Great person to learn from. Under him, it was the first time a Hilton became 5 diamonds! I suppose I was meant to live in London, but I have no regrets.

B: With several collaborators—brand company, architects, furniture makers, chefs, etc.—often involved in creating a restaurant, how difficult is it to maintain a coherent creative focus?
JM: I don’t think it’s difficult if you work with great people. At a certain point, you all know what you want and get it done. The design aspect is what I love the most. I remember I was checking in to the hotel Costes. They got me shopping bags that had just come in. And they were so excited. That’s what we do. To see the final product.

B: Which chefs are doing incredible work today and why?
JM: A lot of great chefs out there doing great work. If I had to pick one chef it would have to be Mario [Battali]. He does Italian food. It’s very hard to execute. Also, Jeffrey Zacharian, when he’s at the top of his game, is hard to beat.

B: You prefer food on white plates. What other design elements are you a stickler for?
JM: I like white plates because food stands out more. But I don’t get too crazy about it. Some things have to be kept simple. A restaurant with 1000 elements becomes too much. For example, my bathrooms are simple. My glassware is simple. Mainland already has a lot of color, so instead of going with color, I focused on shapes.

B: Is there a restaurant or hotel out there that isn’t one of yours that you would have liked to have done, and why?
JM: Hotel Costes, Mercer, Balthazar. Why? Because I just love being there. I could eat at Balthazar every day and could move to either hotel and live there the rest of my life.

B: Do you typically have a general, neighborhood location in mind for each of your restaurant concepts?
JM: In NYC, I’d rather be downtown. I tend to go to undiscovered places. My espresso bar in Soho… There was nothing in Soho. Republic, when I opened, there was nothing in Union Square except for Coffee Shop. APT in the Meatpacking District?… Pastis and APT opened same time, more or less. Bond St… nobody knew Bond St.

B: Do you cook?
JM: Yes, but very limited. I have to admit I’m not a very good cook. I don’t have the patience for recipes and I don’t believe in recipes. When I cook, I can throw ingredients together very well. But I do make a mean, mean Bolognese. A mean chicken soup. A fantastic brunch spread, buffet.

B: Are you as hands-on with the wine and beer as you are with the food?
JM: Honestly, no. I don’t know much about beer because I don’t drink it. I have had beer three or four times in my life. With wines, though I’m not a connoisseur there’s not a single wine at Bond St that I haven’t tasted and approved. Food, I can be very creative; I get into it, dissect it. But I bring in people for the beverages.

B: Where do you see the Jonathan Morr Group in five years? Ten years?
JM: In five years I would like to retire completely from this business, but keep what I have. With a couple good chains that are growing on their own. And then I need a major career change. I think it’s a great privilege for a person to do well and then to switch completely. I would like to get involved in Hollywood. I know it’s difficult, but look, at the end of the day, I’m a producer—I produce. I find the location, bring the chef together… I want to apply that Hollywood. Either that or do nothing!

Read part 1 of this interview.