Long Beach Lookout, Lookout 49 & Salute Italian Restaurants- A team history…

Long Beach Lookout began as a dream of Rob Stinson, Joe Jefferson and Steve Huber.  In April of 2002 this trio acquired the location that was formerly known as “Fish & Bones,” on beautiful Long Beach Harbor by the boat launch.  It was a beautiful building with one of the best panoramic views of the Gulf.  The Lookout, its familiar name to locals, struggled at the outset because of the prior restaurant’s reputation.  Rob utilized the variety of cuisines he had learned in New Orleans, working under great chefs like: Gerald Thabuis, Cordon Bleu Chef of France, Ciro Cuomo, Master Chef of Italy and Nataniel Burton, Creole Chef extraordinaire, to create a menu that separated the Lookout from other Coast restaurants.  The menu evolved by listening to the customers and refining the changes to accommodate their tastes. 

The Team:

While the Lookout’s menu was building so was the staff.  Denis Trochesset was a waiter when Rob opened the Lookout.  Denis separated himself from other employees by arriving at 8am and reading novels in his car.  Awesome on the floor, willing to accept change and adapt, and leading others, Denis quickly became an indispensable asset to the company.  Denis was promoted through the ranks from waiter, to manager, to general manager, and finally offered the opportunity to buy in as a working partner of the restaurant by Rob, Joe and Steve.  He has continued to be Rob’s right hand in business and a great friend. 

In July of 2004, Rob searched New Orleans for an old restaurant friend and great chef, Cory Fazzio.  By the luck of fate, Cory was unhappy in his current job (his last paycheck had bounced-ugh!) and willing to relocate to the Gulf Coast.  Cory walked into Lookout on the busy July 4th weekend and when the current chef quit, he quickly assumed the helm and has never looked back.  Helping to open Lookout 49 and Salute, Cory has established himself as an equity partner in Salute. 

Rachel Edwards.  Who can say enough about Rachel!  Smiling face, Southern drawl, great bartender, and everyone’s personal psychologist who sits at her bar, she has a long history at Lookout as well.  Working as a server at Fish & Bones briefly, while she bartended at Outback (9 years) Rob met her and was dismayed when she quit after he bought the restaurant.  Determined to get her back, after the Lookout gathered steam and was getting busy before Katrina, Rob got his wish.  Offering her the bar managing position she came on board with Lookout and built a great bar clientele on the beach.  Friday night at the bar with Rachel became a way of life for many Long Beach residents.  Moving on and helping rebuild the bar at Lookout 49, and now an equity partner in Salute, Rachel is a key player on the team.  

The Storm…

Long Beach Lookout was in the third year of operation in August of 2005, and sales were great.  Sales were increasing every month compared to the previous year and the partners and team were excited.  Rob had planned a massive advertising campaign in August to overcome the dreaded month of September- the slowest month of the year.  “Meat- The Menu,” was the promotion and new dishes like lamb, veal and pork chops were the ammunition.  TV, radio and newspaper ads were all in place for the Lookout.  Orders were in, menus designed and new preparations for the staff were all ready for the promotion.   The kitchen had just been redesigned to accommodate the additional business and then came the warning…

Samuel Stinson, Rob’s 10 year old son, woke Rob up at 5am Sunday morning, August 28th.  “Dad it’s a category 5 hurricane and it is coming right for us!!!”    Lookout had planned to open for business Sunday because so many times hurricanes had been false alarms.  People were living the proverbial “boy who cried wolf,” when it came to evacuating for hurricanes.  This time is was different.  Rob called the forces and started removing all computers, catering equipment and liquor from the restaurant.  Rob knew three things:  the restaurant would be gone and he needed records for insurance and sales, they would be serving relief workers with the catering equipment and that his staff and friends would want the liquor to keep their sanity!

As we all know now, Katrina smashed the Gulf Coast and life changed forever.  Lookout was gone, and so was just about everything else from the railroad tracks South.  Devastating, horrible, catastrophic are just a few of the words used to describe the aftermath of Katrina.  Pork chops, lamb and veal were scattered in the remains of Dad’s Super Pawn in Long Beach.  Marketing promotions became a thought of the past.  After replacing the roof at his house, Rob packed his family and was off to Ohio to stay with his mother in Chagrin Falls.  Hoping to begin a new life, Rob and family cuddled and regrouped in the sanctity of a different area where hurricanes are not a factor.  All that changed after Rob called the insurance company for the restaurant.  The 150k loss of income policy that would pay the bills while deciding what to do was not going to pay.  Insurance companies became a hated word after Katrina.  Wind not flood, flood not wind, whatever the way out was, it seemed that insurance companies would use it so as not to pay the policies.  Rob panicked.  What are we going to do?  Rob, Joe, Steve and Denis (now a partner) had just purchased the lease and rights of Long Beach Lookout.  They had not even paid one note.  How would they pay the $7500/month note?  Rob realized that they would have to find another location immediately and get back in business.  Where?  How? 

The Lookout 49…

Denis stayed on the Coast after the hurricane.  Denis’s priorities were helping friends and family while attempting to gain some sense of normalcy.  Rob had received notice from his Sysco rep that there was a possible location in Orange Grove to utilize for the Lookout.  Rob called Denis to explain that there was no insurance coming to cover their down time, and that they needed to get back in the game.  Time was of the essence because so many restaurants were destroyed and there were other restaurateurs looking for a location.  Rob asked Denis to go give a check to secure the location the next day.  21 days later the Lookout 49 was born. 

The team is the reason for the quick opening.  Denis, Rachel, Cory and team worked day and night to renovate the location while Rob handled getting the myriad of permits necessary for a restaurant.  The State of Mississippi was unbelievably helpful  to local businesses trying to reopen.  Rob traveled to Jackson, Hattiesburg, while Denis bought equipment out of state.  The team decided that the Lookout was going to be a full menu restaurant (many operations after Katrina served only 4 or 5 items at exorbitant prices) serving reasonably priced food, with cable TV, taking credit cards and offering a complete bar.  The first restaurant to relocate and reopen, Lookout 49 was incredibly busy.  Feeding relief workers, church volunteers and homeless families, Lookout saw many tears of happiness in the first days. 

The Team Grows…

Debra Williams, a former employee of Chimney’s Restaurant,  asserted herself from day one at Lookout 49.  Helping rebuild the bar, clean the restaurant and hire and train the staff, Debra was the obvious choice to manage the Lookout.  Debra and team allowed the busy restaurant to do the impossible- Keep a staff when everyone on the Gulf Coast was looking for help.  People didn’t want to work after Katrina.  Sitting on money given by FEMA, many workers simply didn’t decide to get back into the routine of daily work.  Lookout 49, through great leadership and teamwork was able to keep a staff and maintain the highest level of service possible in extremely difficult times.  The success of Lookout 49 is due to the incredible teamwork of the staff.

Catering Emerges and the Team Grows…

Ron Craven walked into Lookout 49 two weeks after the storm looking for work as a waiter.  Rob spotted him and immediately screamed “you’re hired!”  Ron had waited on Rob at Chimney’s restaurant before the storm and was the best waiter he had seen in Mississippi.   Calm, well organized and personable, Ron Craven emerged as the Lookout 49’s catering director.  Large relief groups became a daily event at Lookout.  There were very few restaurants that could handle weddings, business groups and government agencies that wanted catered parties.  Ron became the go to person for parties and has grown into an incredible asset for the Lookout 49 and Salute Italian restaurants.  Training Juanita Shaw as his assistant, they became the team called upon to satisfy large groups both on premise and off.

Lookout 49 became an oasis in the desert of the Gulf Coast.

Salute!!!

Fema, Mema, grants, permits, contractors and insurance companies all seemed to move at a snail’s pace when rebuilding the Gulf Coast was concerned.  The lease of Lookout 49 was in question so another location was a must.  Rob had been in touch with the city of Long Beach, and unfortunately all of the above agencies kept the harbor off limits until all utilities could be completely rebuilt.  Over a year after Katrina, Long Beach Lookout couldn’t be constructed, so Rob and Denis decided to look elsewhere.  Denis had been in communication with Jeanie from Blue Cross of Mississippi, and she mentioned a location on the beach in Gulfport.  Rob started the lease negotiations for a magnificent location in the fabulous 15th Place building of Mark Davis and Ron Feder.  15th Place had been the home of “The Irish Coast Pub,” and “Java Jean’s Coffee Shop” before the storm.  The rest of the building houses three law firms, and was finished about two years before the hurricane.  The building resembles a “Mediterranean, Italian structure” and may just be the finest architectural specimen on the Gulf Coast.  Perfect for the Italian restaurant that Mark and Ron wanted, Rob and crew started the design for a great Italian fare restaurant.  Salute was the perfect chance to design the perfect restaurant.  Rob sat down on a Friday night at six o’clock, and at midnight had the plans laid out for the restaurant.  A long bar overlooking the Gulf was the starting point.  Next was the open air kitchen perfected by Cory and Rob.  Booths and tables fell into place and in June of 2007 “Salute Italian Restaurant” opened.   Unable to maintain a full staff because of the lack of a work force on the Gulf Coast, Salute started with dinner only.  It was extremely busy.  Well received, Salute began to gain popularity.  Rachel’s bar, now became one of the hot spots on the Coast.  With a magnificent view of the water, Salute’s martini bar quickly became a favorite of the Gulfport elite.  Judges, attorneys, business owners and the like frequented the bar.  Giving their input, with Rachel and team listening, the bar has prospered.  Cory and team perfected the food.  Cooking out of an exhibition kitchen, the food evolved and became a mixed menu of Itailan and local fare

The Team Grows…

James Crumbley is the current chef at Lookout 49. Terry Ftizpatrick has been the rock of Gibralter in the prep kitchen.   Chad Henson, a bartender and server from Lookout, became the manager at Salute while the front of the house team grew.  Juanita Shaw is now the Catering Director of Lookout 49.  Too many more to list in this book, it needs to be said- the success of Lookout and Salute has been because of the great team.

The Future…

Focused on getting back to Long Beach harbor, Rob, Denis, Steve and Joe will be designing a new building for Long Beach Lookout.  Having obtained an additional term to their lease (52 years total) the team will be planning their return to the original location sometime in 2009.  Great young talent like Michael Sigafoose and others will help shape the daily operation of this new restaurant, menu and staff.  This long awaited return to the location where the team began will be the next chapter in this story.  Stay tuned for the details….

The Hidden Team…

It needs to be said that in the midst of all this turmoil, there have been unsung heroes in the shadows of our team.  The wives and girlfriend of the owners need their own praise.  Paige Stinson, Andrea Trochesset, Katie Jefferson and Darcy Lequerre have been the ones to console, counsel and often participate in the daily operation of the restaurants.  It is only through their happiness, that the team has been allowed to prosper.