Born and raised in Greenwich, CT, Danny Gabriele is expanding his horizons with his newest restaurant location in Westport, CT. Since last August, he and his team have been renovating the space previously known as Paul Newman’s iconic restaurant The Dressing Room.
Gabriele says that he always loved the potential clientele of Westport, and believes the facility’s history will play a huge role in getting customers through the door. “We drew a lot of celebrities in Greenwich, so the new location being Paul Newman’s place The Dressing Room was just great– it all made perfect sense. I love the facilities we have access to, it really gives us the opportunity to expand for large parties as well as do regular dining service. I can’t begin to tell you that the impact of a parking lot of this size can have on our success.”
Gabriele’s Westport location is going to offer brunch, lunch, and dinners seven days a week. “Westport is a great brunch town, something we didn’t have in Greenwich and I am really excited to add it to the local restaurant scene,” added Gabriele. Gabriele’s of Westport will still be serving all of the most popular dishes from the Greenwich location, including fresh pasta and seafood. Gabriele even mentions vegetarian and vegan options on the menu as well.
Gabriele’s culinary team will use produce curated from local farmers and purveyors. Gabriele explained that Westport will definitely have its own personality separate from the Greenwich location, while still boasting the dishes that they are known and loved for. His vendor lineup includes LaFrieda Meat Purveyors and Master Purveyor for meats, and Greenwich’s Lobster Bin and New Wave Seafood for all his restaurant’s seafood needs. All the steaks at Gabriele’s– this was the case for Greenwich as well as the new Westport location– are prime beef and have been dry aged for twenty-eight days.
Restaurant relationships are extremely important to Gabriele. “To me, it’s all about relationships, and I don’t know if most people in the restaurant industry would agree with me on this. I believe it is vital to understand how important your staff is, whether they’re a dishwasher or a waiter. That waiter could bring you hundreds of thousands of dollars a year just because they are a great server”.
Gabriele prides himself in having the same employees work with him for the last ten, twenty, or even thirty years in some cases. Those little consistencies such as the same voice always on the other side of the phone or the same face greeting you when you walk in the door is something the customers really appreciate. Gabriele looks forward to creating those lasting relationships at the Westport location too. The reputation from his Greenwich restaurant is definitely already carrying over. “I am excited to bring my Greenwich customers with me, as well as build an entirely new community in Westport,” he says. Gabriele’s of Westport features a totally new brunch menu, a highly revamped lunch menu, and a dinner menu that is both familiar and distinct.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed so much about the restaurant industry. Gabriele finds himself at a challenging crossroads of being a high-end restaurant during a time of take-out-centric dining. “These days, to-go is very different than it was years ago. We are no longer in a time of ‘throw it in the container and go’. There are very different expectations and ideas around to-go dining, and we plan to meet those expectations”. Gabriele explained how important the packaging is for to-go orders, everything from the container the food comes into the bag and utensils even. He says that he and his team are gearing up and finding the proper components to create a most seamless restaurant experience.
For Danny Gabriele, treating his team right, nurturing relationships with loyal customers and uncompromising commitment to the highest quality food are the recipe for success.
Learn more about Gabriele’s Restaurant at their website.
