Sante

Spruce:
evergreen by Design
By Deborah Grossman
Spruce
3640 Sacramento St., San Francisco, CA 94118
415-931-5100
sprucesf.com
Owners Tim Stannard and Chef/Partner Mark Sullivan
General Manager Jim Minch
Bar Manager Brandon Clements
Number of employees 70
Bar Focus From-scratch classic and original cocktails
Average Drink price $11
Signature Drink Spruce Goose $12
pouring cost 20%
Average Bar Bill $55 per person (includes food)
Gross Annual revenue, restaurant $7.5 million
Gross Annual revenue, Bar $1.5 million
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At San Francisco’s Spruce, a reverence for the past
and for breaking new ground is evident from the
two cocktail lists, classic and House, to the decor.
Spruce is housed in a former 1930s auto barn with
a tall entrance arch to accommodate Model-T cars.
On one side is a small gourmet take-out shop, Caffe
at Spruce, which also houses the espresso service.
Across the entrance, a smallish library room serves as
a waiting area or private party lounge.
Inside, to the right of the reception desk, the bar beckons with
a white marble counter and mirrored shelves holding 400-plus
spirits. Elegant, hand-rubbed, white gold frames border the
shelves. Along the chocolate mohair walls of the 70-seat dining
room, short sheaths of curtain create more intimate seating
areas that are fitted with saddle-leather chairs. A focal point is
the glass-and-steel skylight from the original structure, which
bathes the room with natural daylight or romantic evening glow.
: : bar tab ::
“
One of the things that makes
Spruce unique is that we don’t have
‘well’ spirits. We pour only high-quality
distillates, make a point of asking guests
what brands they prefer, and educate
them on their many options.”
—Tim Stannard, co-owner
Spruce Sprouts
Spruce is the third concept of Tim Stannard’s Bacchus Management
Group. Following the success of the bar and menu at Village Pub
in Woodside, California, and four Pizza Antica locations in the Bay
Area, Stannard’s decision in August 2007 to locate Spruce in the
Presidio Heights neighborhood, a mix of residential and upscale
boutique shopping and 20 minutes by cab from downtown San
Francisco, was a risky one.
But within a few weeks, the combination of Euro-American
ambience, artisan cocktails, thoughtful wine list, and exciting food
engendered an unexpected headache for Stannard. “The biggest
challenge was how popular the restaurant became as soon as the
doors opened,” he recalls. “We just were not prepared for the
volume of business and had to retool some basic things.”
The initial crowds provided the cash flow, which was positive
in 30 days, and the $2.5 million investment has been substantially
repaid. The overall customer mix is about half neighborhood
patrons, 30 percent from greater San Francisco, and 20 percent
tourist trade.
A consistent and successful operating philosophy helped Spruce
flourish after the early success. “We remind ourselves constantly
that we are a neighborhood restaurant, being sure to serve all of
the needs of our neighbors, whatever they may be—from luxury
dinners for birthdays and anniversaries, to casual dinners in the
bar, and even recreating Spruce at our guests’ homes with onpremise catering if the need arises,” says Stannard.
With an eye on what Executive Chef Mark Sullivan
orders fresh, Clements makes his own syrups,
infusions, and juices. The duo creates cocktail pairing
menus for spirits dinners and on request. Clements
may pair his Kentucky Sidecar with Maker’s Mark
bourbon to summer corn and sorrel soup. He sets
up his Country Cobbler—vanilla infused bourbon,
Monteverdi Nocino della Cristina Walnut Liqueur,
peach, lemon, and molasses—with Sullivan’s
Berkshire, maple-brined pork tenderloin.
Clements takes his martini production seriously,
from storing his Sicilian Castel Patrono olives in
dry vermouth to preparing his best-selling classic
cocktail, the East Side, with Martin Miller’s gin for its
refreshing vegetal notes which enhance the drink’s
cucumber, mint, and lime.
The bar manager takes his staff-training
responsibilities equally to heart. All new recruits
undergo a two-week bar training program, and
everyone engages in regular sessions at which
Clements reviews new spirits and trains his team on
cocktail techniques and recipes.
Staying Green
Though revenue and profits are balanced between
food, wine, and cocktails, the bar contributes strongly
to the bottom line due to lower labor costs from an
Careful Tending
The hospitality of the bar staff generates much of the positive vibes
at Spruce. “My job behind the bar involves technical knowledge
and skill, but I’m really like the host of the party at my house,”
remarks manager Clements. “I may know about the 20 bourbons
and dozen-plus rare Madeiras, yet I’m not here to lecture.”
Though considered among the elite of Bay Area bartenders,
Clements gladly crafts a Long Island iced tea or recommends a
Barbeito 1863 Bual Madeira. He conjures drinks such as the Hierba
Dulce with Corazon Blanco, Dimmi, Aqua Perfecta, agave syrup,
and lemon bitters, rimmed and garnished with a rosemary sprig.
The Spruce Goose (the restaurant is named for nearby Spruce
Street) features Grey Goose vodka, Clear Creek Douglas Fir Eau
de Vie, Roger Groult Calvados, maple syrup, and lemon bitters.
spruce stays popular in the neighborhood and beyond by
offering artisan cocktails, thoughtful wine pairings, and
exciting food—from casual to luxury.
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Violet Beauregarde
“
By Brandon Clements, bar manager
This cocktail is named after the fictional
character from the roald Dahl novel,
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Like the
character, it is complex, attractive to the eye,
expensive to maintain, and slightly bitter.”
2 purple violets
2 white violets
4–5 blueberries
3⁄4 oz lemongrass syrup
3⁄4 oz lemon juice
1⁄3 oz Pagés Parfait Amour Liqueur
11⁄2 oz Beefeater 24 Gin
11⁄2 oz Fever Tree Bitter Lemon Soda
Blueberries, violets, thin lemon twist, and lavender
sprig with flower garnishes
Fill collins glass with ice, interspersing violets throughout.
Combine berries, lemongrass syrup, and lemon juice in mixing
glass and muddle thoroughly. Add liqueur and gin to same
mixing glass, fill with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into new
mixing glass. Add bitter lemon soda to mixture and pour into
prepared collins glass. Garnish with 2 blueberries, violets, a
long thin lemon twist, and a lavender sprig.
efficient five-person crew. Eschewing bar promotions and well
brands, seasonal bar menu changes (e.g., Violet Beauregarde, a
springtime offering) ramp up profits.
With a seven percent decline in business due to the recession,
Stannard maintains “nothing fancy” cost-control strategies at the
bar. He remarks, “We do solid monthly inventories and maintain
a perpetual inventory, which allows us to calculate estimated
theoretical monthly costs and compare those versus actual costs
to look for areas of discrepancy. We watch prices from our vendors
on each and every invoice, and we ensure that we are buying in
the most cost-effective manner. Plus, we work hard to train our
staff on accurate and consistent pours.”
“We strive for balance in the mixture of base spirits, a balance
of classic and contemporary cocktails, and a balance of prices,”
Stannard continues. “Many of the cocktails are very reasonably
priced, but some of the more labor-intensive cocktails may cost a
little bit more.”
Stannard has kept staff levels, salaries, and benefits steady. He
and his team run a rigorous selection process to select employees
who can adapt to the mix of clientele and dining experiences at
Spruce. He honors his staff by striving to promote from within.
The team has reduced operating costs with economies of scale
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14. 2/ 2010
from the company-owned bakery, a partnership with
a farm located 45 minutes from The Village Pub and
Stannard’s opening of ROAST Coffee Company in
Oakland to procure beans and blends. The co-owner
observes, “Our response to the recession was not to
focus on cost-cutting techniques, but instead to focus
on marketing and building business.”
Above all, Stannard sees Spruce as a high-end
neighborhood bar and restaurant that doesn’t take
itself too seriously. “You can come in for caviar and
Champagne, a cold beer and a cheeseburger, or a
seasonal cocktail with grilled bavette steak. Each
experience needs to feel genuine and appropriate,
and the bar staff at Spruce is very adept at
understanding each guest’s spoken (or unspoken)
needs and meeting and exceeding them.”
Deborah Grossman is a San Francisco Bay–area
journalist who writes about food, wine, spirits, and beer.