Platinum Record: Carl and Lisa Georigi
Countless news articles stress the need for balance between one’s work and home life. Lisa and Carl Georigi, founders of Platinum Dining Group, don’t read them. “We’ve never separated the two,” Carl says. “It’s not uncommon for us to be at home talking about business or be in the office talking about what we need to do with the kids this week.”
Certainly, there’s a lot to talk about. The Wilmington-based hospitality group owns four successful restaurants: Eclipse Bistro, Redfire Grill, Capers & Lemons, which has an adjoining market, and Taverna. The company also has a catering arm.
By this time next year, Platinum will have opened a second Taverna and a new concept, El Camino Mexican Kitchen. All the restaurants are in northern New Castle County.
“The Platinum Dining Group is a company that all Delaware restaurateurs can look up to,” says Scott Kammerer, president of Rehoboth Beach-based SoDel Concepts, which has 10 restaurants. “Their strategic growth and commitment to excellence have made Carl a captain of the industry in Delaware.”
SOWING THE SEEDS FOR A CAREER
The love of food started early for Carl and his brother, Nick, who grew up in South Jersey. Their mother, who loved to cook, carefully researched and selected restaurants for the family to try on weekends.
It didn’t matter if the restaurant was in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., or New York, Nick recalls, the family would pile into the car and head out. It wasn’t until he was older that he realized that other families did not travel hours just to eat dinner.
Carl, who is seven years older than Nick, was 16 when he got a job at the Hyatt in Cherry Hill. He worked his way up into restaurant management at the property. “He was so excited about it, and there was a palpable energy,” Nick says.
After graduating from LaSalle University, Carl considered a law career. But he couldn’t shake his fascination with the hospitality industry. By age 23, he was managing more than 90 people at the Philadelphia location of Sfuzzi, a Texas-based chain with a high-energy take on an Italian trattoria.
In 1991, he became the manager of Café Bellissimo in Wilmington, which is where he met Lisa, a frequent customer. A graduate of New York University, Lisa was decorating model homes for her father, a local builder, and biding her time until she could further her studies at the American Film Institute. Life had other plans. The couple fell in love and wed in 1992.
Carl moved to the Blue and Gold Club, a membership-only restaurant for University of Delaware faculty and alumni. Nick, who was attending UD at the time, worked as a server and in the kitchen.
BUILDING A BUSINESS
While Carl was at the Blue & Gold Club, he and Lisa decided to open their own restaurant. They took a chance on a former fried chicken spot on Union Street in Wilmington’s Little Italy, which was better known for red gravy eateries than contemporary cuisine.
On a budget, Carl worked at the university then headed to the restaurant to work alongside the demolition crew. He used chalk — not an architect’s software — to sketch the layout on the floor, which remains the same to this day.
Eclipse, which was billed as approachable fine dining, opened in 1996. Wilmington diners embraced the restaurant. Eclipse was so busy that Carl worked in the kitchen nearly every day. He brought Nick on board, and he’s been with the company ever since.
For Carl and Lisa, life was hectic on all fronts. At home, they had a toddler, Alec, and, in 1997, a newborn daughter, Gillian.
In 2000, they opened Dome in Hockessin, a colorful space that reflected the casual dining trend of the early 21st century. Indeed, it didn’t take long for the Georigis to spot the diners’ desire for relaxed service and a comfortable atmosphere. By 2004, the linens were offeclipse’s tables, and the special occasion restaurant became a more casual neighborhood bistro. The standard for the food, however, remained high.
With two restaurants and more on the way, the Georigis formalized their hospitality company by creating Platinum Dining Group in 2007
Carl dipped into his background in Italian cuisine in 2009 with the opening of Capers & Lemons. Like Dome, the restaurant filled a gap for quality dining in an affluent area. Taverna, a more rustic approach to Italian fare, followed in 2012.
When Dome felt the pinch of the Recession, the Georigis quite smartly turned it into a steakhouse, Redfire.
Carl and Nick’s mother, Laura, relished the restaurants’ success. She died this past March from pancreatic cancer.
“She was probably Carl’s biggest fan,” Nick says, “and she was incredibly proud of all that he’s accomplished.”
THE NEXT LEVEL
Over the years, the Georigis have fielded many requests to replicate one or more of their concepts. They’ve also been interested in finding space in North Wilmington, where commercial property for a restaurant is hard to find.
The Buccini/Pollin Group’s redevelopment of Concord Plaza, formerly an office complex, fit the bill. The community, currently under construction, will have 300 apartments over restaurants and stores when complete.
Platinum signed a letter of intent three years ago, giving the team time to refine their plans. The new Taverna and El Camino Mexican Kitchen will face each other near the entrance on the main drag.
Why a second Taverna? The concept — which includes pizza, salads and grilled dishes — suits the relaxed feel of the live-work-play development. “It was a natural fit,” Carl says.
Unlike some restaurant groups, which may take some creative license with the second location of the same concept, the two Tavernas will share the same food and beverage menus. “I think it’s really important not to confuse the consumer and to operate with a level of consistency,” Carl says.
However, there will be variations with Lisa’s décor. Taverna has reclaimed wood and brick, and that will be the case in Wilmington. But it might sport a different species of wood or a fresh color scheme.
The Georigis have been toying with the idea of a Mexican restaurant for some time — and they’re not alone. Cocina Lolo and Del Pez Mexican Gastropub, both in downtown Wilmington, and Agave and La Pina Valley Cantina, located just over the state line in Pennsylvania, have all opened in the past three years.
Carl isn’t worried about the competition. “Lisa and I have done a tremendous amount of research. We’ve traveled the country — southern California, San Antonio, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Miami. We have visited dozens of Mexican concepts: Tex-Mex, traditional Mex, modern Mex.”
They were inspired by concepts in urban areas that “capture a good look and deliver exceptional food,” he says. Of course, that’s been the mantra of Platinum Dining Group from the start, say its longtime employees.
“There’s an attention to detail, we are humble and thankful for the business that we have, and we stay informed and knowledgeable about the dining scene,” adds Bryan Jariwala, director of operations, who’s been on the team for 18 years.
Carl and Lisa earn their employees’ respect. “I straighten up when Carl walks in the building,” Nick says. “I never lose sight that he and Lisa are the owners.”
Kelly Connell, the second director of operations, says the couple are “hardworking people with a high degree of integrity.” It’s one reason why he’s been with Platinum for 20 years.
To prepare for growth, Platinum has hired an HR director and Lisa no longer handles the daily accounting. “I’m more involved with Carl in developing the restaurant, the direction that we’re headed in to create the whole guest experience,” she says.
Some might wonder why it’s taken two decades for Platinum to grow from one to six restaurants. The Georigis do not commit to an idea for a restaurant until they’ve carefully examined the potential for its longevity.
“This industry is not a sprint,” Carl concludes. “It’s marathon.”
> Platinum Dining Group, Wilmington, Delaware, (302) 397-8732
