New York, November 21 2006 - Entrepreneurial mastermind Stratis Morfogen, CEO of Philippe Restaurant Group Inc., is one of the country's fastest evolving restaurateurs. Since opening the first Philippe Restaurant the chic contemporary Chinese restaurant located at 33 East 60th Street, last December 2005, Morfogen has built a diverse portfolio of highly successful ventures and continues to expand upon his success.
Philippe Restaurant Group redefines the Chinese dining experience by combining traditional ingredients with a contemporary vibe, presenting the celebrated cuisine of culinary master Philippe Chow, former Mr. Chow veteran of more than 27 years, in an accessible, chic style. The menu includes large dishes of creative Chinese cooking, ideal for sharing between two and four customers. A highlight is the nightly noodle-making show presented on the restaurant floor by Noodle Chef Wai Ming Cheng, also a native of China. Since its opening, Philippe has attracted an international clientele including many celebrities, social leaders, fashionistas and sports figures, and has seen a steady increase in business.
Plans call for opening three or four Philippe restaurants a year in select cities, often partnering with boldface named investors, who Morfogen says were customers who believed in the concept.
Partnering with record mogul Tommy Mottola and his wife, Latin music sensation Thalia, and Mexico's renowned restaurateur Pablo Moctezuma, Morfogen opened a Philippe in Mexico City at Paseo de Reforma in the Lomas neighborhood on November 22.
In June 2006, Morfogen scored big with a $10 million partnership investment deal with a group of leading National Basketball Association players and sports agents to open Philippe restaurants in select cities in North America. Players include: Sebastian Telfair, Boston Celtics; Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess, Detroit Pistons; Tyronn Lue, Atlanta Hawks; Al Harrington, Indianapolis Pacers and Stromile Swift, Houston Rockets. The group is managed by agent Chris Brantley. Locations will include: Charlotte, NC in March 2007, East Hampton in May 2007, and Miami at the Gansevoort South Hotel (August 2007); casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Las Vegas all in 2008; and, in 2009, in Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
While the cuisine and minimalist dicor are reminiscent of their NYC counterpart, each new endeavor will incorporate unique elements distinctive to the area. Features in Mexico City include an outdoor lounge, two cascading waterfalls, a mezzanine overlooking the first floor dining room, and a private wine cellar dining room to accommodate 35-40 people, while the Miami branch dissolves boundaries between the kitchen and dining room, allowing guests to observe the creation of their meal with an open-air viewable kitchen. At Philippe perfection and pleasure, indulgence and minimalism, seamlessly co-mingle bringing the highest quality to contemporary dining.
Opened October 19, 2006, Morfogen also unveiled his most recent innovative concept for New York City nightlife, The Grand, 41 East 58th Street, a special event space and nightclub with in-house catering by Philippe on the Upper East Side.
With an average of 450 - 600 covers per night, 11- 12 million volume of sales in the past year at Philippe New York, and a 28% increase in net profits this past year, prove that future endeavors will be highly successful. The average check per person is $70 for dinner and $30 for lunch, with sales recorded as 70% food and 30% for bar. Philippe has also made the list for the top five largest grossing restaurants per square food in New York. Sixty people are currently employed at the New York City restaurant, and this number has increased significantly with the rise of Philippe Restaurant Group's newest developments.
Morfogen attributes the impressive success in just one year of openin