Inside Jeff Bell's new mid-century cocktail bar in NYC

As New York’s cocktail landscape continues to evolve, few voices carry as much weight as Jeff Bell’s. 

After a decade shaping PDT into one of the world’s most influential bars, Bell is preparing to open the subterranean Kees in Greenwich Village, a new cocktail spot inspired by glamorous, mid-century bars of yesteryear. It will open this month at One Cornelia, in the same building that already houses his agave bar Mixteca, as well as the first East Coast location of Tacos 1986.

In this interview, Bell breaks down the behind-the-scenes advantages of co-located venues, what he values most when hiring and the guest experience he hopes to create at Kees for the next generation of drinkers.

—Interview by Kelly Dobkin, edited by Bianca Prieto

What operational advantages do you foresee (if any) from opening multiple ventures at the same address? 

There are some efficiencies behind the scenes in regards to prep and other BOH departments, as well as standard line items on the P&L like utilities, insurance, rent, etc. The idea is inspired by the Crif Dogs and PDT model, where Crif Dogs is its own revenue center, and PDT becomes a dining room extension of that kitchen. Bars typically sell three or four times more beverages than food, so a dedicated kitchen can be quite costly to operate with equipment, staffing and overall food COGs. So, adding a kitchen to a bar that is already producing creates some efficiency. 

What qualities do you look for when recruiting staff for these projects (especially with this latest venture)?

Comfortability. I don’t have the standard questions in my Rolodex like “give me an example of how you provided great service”—I like to get to know people, see where they are from, what their journey was like to New York (if they aren’t from here), what their goals and aspirations are for the future (do they want to open their own bar, do they want to work in hospitality to supplement another career they are passionate about?). There is no right answer, just gathering context. A staff should have balance and varying backgrounds. Ideally, there is cocktail-making experience, but the main thing is whether this person is an empathetic co-worker and provides warm service to guests.

Describe the guest experience you hope to create at Kees. 

We want to have fine dining-level thoughtfulness and precise execution of cocktails. Service will be buttoned up, but bars are inherently more casual than the dining rooms of restaurants. We want that attention to detail delivered without rigidity but with personality and purpose. People go to bars to relax and have fun, and we want to help facilitate that. 

Thanks for reading today's edition! You can reach the newsletter team at editor@theprep.co. We enjoy hearing from you.

Interested in advertising? Email us at newslettersales@mvfglobal.com

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here to get this newsletter once a week.

The Prep is written by Kelly Dobkin and Bianca Prieto.