What makes your business unique?
Every night is a different chef, pronunciation, cadence, and service. We approach Frame with an editorial mindset, meaning we look at 52 weeks a year and how food programming works into our business. We bring in rotating chefs with a constant change in programming between workshops and month-long takeovers. So as a guest, you are literally getting a completely new food and drink experience with a unique concept every night.
How do you maintain a staff with constant change?
We have a culinary director that oversees all of the food ordering, and a full team dedicated to our cocktail and wine program. What’s really interesting about our team is that we have to be equally hospitable to our incoming chefs as we are to our guests. The chefs and the winemakers coming in, they’re our guests, too. Our business model is focused on all these relationships.
Why does Tock’s reservation system work for your business?
Tock allows us to create original events in our multiple spaces, whether we’re doing reservation deposits or ticketed dinners. We do a mishmash of a million things there. There was one time when we had an à la carte service going on at FRAMEbar, a seated dinner at Frame, and a movie night in our Frame Pavilion. With Tock, we were able to drive revenue in all three spaces at once. So that nimbleness for us is crucial.
The second thing that has been really invaluable is the ability to keep all of our customer information. We turn six this year. Tock gives us years of data and internal notes in one place, including wine preferences, dietary needs, and birthdays.
Any Tock feature you couldn’t live without?
The waitlist feature. If we have 44 guests who purchased tickets, and a chef who has purchased food for 44 guests, we can’t give a refund for a day-of cancellation—unless we can utilize our waitlist to fill seats.
What would you say are the things that are necessary for Frame to succeed?
Talent, one hundred percent. Without talent, we don’t have a business. We’re almost like a concert venue, and without the Rolling Stones or Metallica, you wouldn’t buy the popcorn and the t-shirts. Our team ensures the chefs have everything they need, whether that’s a working fire or 52 pouring vessels for tableside service.
