The restaurateur who rewrote the rulebook

Drew Nieporent, the storied serial restaurateur behind Nobu, Tribeca Grill, Corton, and the legendary Montrachet, is putting everything he knows down on paper in his new memoir, I’m Not Trying to Be Difficult: Stories From the Restaurant Trenches (dropping on 9/23).

In it, he traces nearly 50 years in the business from his humble beginnings growing up in NYC’s Peter Cooper Village to managing legendary restaurants like Tavern on the Green to opening the trendsetting Montrachet in Tribeca in the 1980s to Nobu, a restaurant which would go on to span 56 locations globally.

What has this incredible journey taught him? That inspiring people goes a lot further than bullying them, that knowledge is power and that the financial supports the creative. Read on to clock all the lore and all the lessons he’s learned along the way.

— Interview by Kelly Dobkin, edited by Lesley McKenzie

What inspired you to write the book?

I've been partners, obviously, for 35 years with Robert De Niro, and my mother was an actress. The truth is, I really want to make a movie. But thinking about doing something and doing it are two separate things. I was very lucky to hook up with Jamie Feldmar, who co-authored the book; she’s an amazing writer. I realized I should write a book because I have a great deal of stories. The book is the first step—getting it down on paper.  

What made you want to get into the restaurant business? 

My father worked for the State Liquor Authority in NYC. He had a way of taking the application from the bottom of the pile and putting it at the top of the pile. The people who opened these restaurants were literally immigrants right off the boat and they were very pleased that he would do that. So as a reward, we went to the best French, Italian restaurants, Chinese, coffee shops and delicatessens. It was a constant thing. That exposure for me was like growing up with the piano and gravitating to music. My life always, from a very early age, revolved around food. 

What advice do you have for would-be restaurant owners?

The thing I always tell people is that the financial supports the creative. If you don’t have money, you can’t do anything. A lot of people see a space and then they try to conform their ideas to make it work. Every time I go into one of these restaurants, even now, the kitchen will be like a closet. I went to a restaurant the other day and the food was delicious but when I saw the kitchen, they didn’t really have space to lay out six plates. The whole thing is to try to find a space where you can produce the food in volume so you can make some money. Just don’t delude yourself. You need the money to create the right kind of restaurant that can make money.

What are the elements of a successful restaurant?

I think the very first thing is knowledge. Professional knowledge, you have to know what you’re talking about. You have a lot of bullsh*tters in this business. So, professional knowledge and then applying that knowledge. If you’re a chef or a front-of-the-house person, you’re not going to inspire people by bullying them. You’re working with them, they’re not working for you.

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 edited by Lesley McKenzie.