Opah expanding to Marblehead development

I called Marc Cohen on his cell phone yesterday morning to check in on developments at his four Orange County restaurants.

Marc Cohen and me in the kitchen at the Irvine Opah in 2005.

Marc, the culinary director and partner of Opah restaurants in Aliso Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita and Irvine, in addition to 230 Forest Avenue in Laguna Beach, has a great accent flavored by his upbringing in Maryland. He’s a hard charger who built a successful business bringing upscale foodie cuisine to the suburbs.

Marc told me he and his partners are looking to expand, but slowly and wisely. They’ve committed to the Marblehead project in San Clemente, and should open there in late 2008 or early 2009.

Finding additional locations in Orange County is tough, and he’s looked at sites in San Diego, Los Angeles and Del Mar. But no home runs yet, and he’s willing to wait. Until now, the existing partners have funded the restaurants. Marc is cautious of bringing in outside investors.

“I’ve talked to people who’ve used outside investors to grow, and they’re so unhappy,” he said. “They end up spending many hours of their week answering questions instead of running their business. Sometimes bigger isn’t better. I’m not unhappy now.”

The restaurants, like others around the country, are feeling the impact of some bumps in the economy, though. Marc has noticed more split checks and fewer patrons willing to pick up a round of drinks for friends.

At his Rancho Santa Margarita location, he estimates 50 to 60 percent of the clientele works in real estate, banking, or the mortgage industry.

“They are all hurting,” he said. “They are all changing jobs.”

I asked Marc if he planned on making any changes at the restaurants if the economy continues to soften.

“You don’t want to change too quickly,” he said. “They may be coming less but they are coming.”

Instead, Marc’s strategy is to focus on customer service and “make sure everything is perfect and the guest feels wanted. …In times like this, you tie a knot and hold on.”

Here’s a profile of Marc I wrote for The Register.