Tennessee Mountain Restaurant rides high at 21 in N.Y

Nation's Restaurant News, Feb 10, 2003 by Paul Frumkin

Given the high mortality rate among restaurants, it's' always a triumph of the spirit to find an operation that makes it out of its adolescence. This year the 140-seat Tennessee Mountain Restaurant in New York really has something to celebrate -- the Soho barbecue specialist has been in business for 21 years.

Owned by Alan D. Fleischman, Tennessee Mountain on Spring Street has managed to ride out the tectonic shifts in the New York dining scene as well as the evolutionary changes in its Soho neighborhood since opening back in 1982. In the early '80s Soho was still known for its loft-space bargains, trendy storefront businesses and art galleries. These days, however, large midtown retailers like Prada and Ferragamo have changed the face of the neighborhood, and local landlords now charge whatever the market will bear -- perhaps more.

But while the neighborhood has changed, Fleischman says that Tennessee Mountain continues to hold its own and is planning to celebrate turning 21.

What are you doing for Tennessee Mountain's 21st birthday?

We're celebrating for four days -- Feb. 24 through the 27th -- and each night we'll feature different live music sponsored by a spirit supplier. For example, we'll have a Mexican night sponsored by [a tequila producer]. We're also rolling back our rib prices by four dollars -- they'll be selling for $15.95 instead of $19.95. And there will be daily specials, too.

What kind of changes have you seen in Soho since 1982?

There have been three or four revolutions in the neighborhood since we opened. There used to be a lot of restaurants here in the early '80s, but the high rents drove them out. Instead, a lot of high-end businesses have moved in -- a few of which are already established in Midtown. I guess they decided to make Soho their downtown outpost.

How did that change the area?

When the landlords realized what was happening, they raised the rent on new leases -- 300 to 400 percent. So the art galleries went to Chelsea and the shops went to Nolita [North of Little Italy]. As a result, we get less foot traffic than we used to.

How's business these days?

Business in general is off by 18 percent to 20 percent compared with pre-Sept. 11 numbers. But we had a good Christmas. We booked a lot of parties from people who in the past might have spent three times as much at more expensive restaurants. I guess we're at the price point where people can afford to have parties. [Tennessee Mountain's average per-person dinner check is $22.]