Martha Stewart has created an entire career and empire with her creative eye, imagination and execution of ideas for years. Martha Stewart opens up about her advice for growth and the business aspects of The Bedford by Martha Stewart restaurant in Paris Las Vegas.
Q: What is your favorite aspect of your Bedford farmhouse and how did you replicate that in the restaurant?
A: I love the hanging copper pots in my kitchen at my home in Bedford, so when the time came to design the restaurant’s kitchen, I knew we had to incorporate those. Now you can purchase those copper pots, which are from my new brand MARTHA by Martha Stewart, on Martha.com.
Q: Can you explain the process from ideation when you got the offer to opening the Bedford by Martha Stewart?
A: Opening a restaurant is a long and arduous process. Luckily, I had lots of help in creating this restaurant—financial backing from Caesars and design advice from the very best in Las Vegas, as well as Kevin Sharkey EVP, Executive Director of Design who has worked for me for 27 years, and others in my company who are wonderful designers. I worked very closely with Thomas Joseph, who is my EVP [of] Culinary at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, to [conceptualize] the menu to meet our brand standards and my own.
[Joseph] is also to be commended for extremely hard work in creating a workable staff, training them, helping me to choose beautiful staff uniforms and for finding vendors to supply the freshest of the fresh in terms of vegetables, meats, fruit and fish. I also received food advice from Pierre Schaedelin, who was my chef for many years; he was once the chef at Le Cirque, the Hôtel de Paris in Monte-Carlo and has also worked for Chef Alain Ducasse. He has made sure the [Bedford] staff is well trained and that my recipes are adaptable to restaurant cooking.
Q: What motivated you to keep on going during more difficult times in your life and career?
A: Investigating new opportunities keeps one young and motivated throughout their life and career. My motto "Learn something new every day," is extremely important; it’s not only about learning but also changing. Another motto I stand by and suggest is "When you’re through changing, you’re through;" for me that’s what it’s all about.
Photography by: Courtesy of Palm + Ocean
