CLIENT
With a team of culinary experts and operations leaders dedicated to the highest of standards, Bastion has conceptualized, opened and operated 10 restaurants across New York, Miami and Houston, including Benno, Leonelli Restaurant and Bakery, Le Jardinier, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and La Table. The group’s efforts and commitment to food and service excellence have been awarded with a total of four Michelin stars in the 2020 Michelin guide New York.
GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Re-introduce La Table to the Houston community and media after the restaurant was closed for eight months due to Covid-19.
Introduce two, brand-new concepts to the Houston community and media (Cafe Leonelli and Le Jardinier) along with the restaurant group’s partnership with The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH).
Secure media placements through strategic pitches to media.
Develop and solidify partnerships with influencers in Houston to create awareness.
Facilitate community involvement through strategic partnerships.
Advise, plan and implement grand opening events as needed, including a media night.
CHALLENGES
Bastion Restaurants hired The PR Boutique to manage media relations, community involvement/influencer programming and grand opening event efforts for its three concepts in Houston: La Table, Cafe Leonelli and Le Jardinier.
After being closed for eight months due to Covid-19, The PR Boutique was tasked with helping create excitement around the re-opening of La Table, along with spreading awareness of the refresh the concept went through during its closure. The updates included the creation of a new menu, renovations to the patio and changes to the indoor dining areas, all in an effort to create a more relaxing and welcoming environment. The PR Boutique was responsible for clearly communicating the changes to the restaurant, to help the community and media understand that the restaurant is not just a place for special occasions, but a comfortable environment with superior food and service. While the Covid- 19 pandemic did affect the number of media and influencers that were comfortable with tastings, The PR Boutique was able to secure numerous media and influencer tastings and garner coverage across the Houston market. The PR Boutique’s forward thinking and strategic planning allowed us to optimize coverage in food, lifestyle and business media beats, achieving media goals that further the brand’s mission at a corporate level.
For Cafe Leonelli and Le Jardinier, The PR Boutique was tasked with introducing Bastion’s concepts to the Houston community and media and announce the group’s partnership with The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The restaurants will be located in the new Nancy and Rich Kinder Building at MFAH, so it was important to Bastion that The PR Boutique clearly communicate how the culinary artistry of the concepts will act as a natural extension of the art in the museum, as well as share background on the chefs and their creative processes for each concept.
SUCCESS METRICS
The announcement of La Table’s reopening in Houston was successful, invoking excitement throughout the Houston area. The anticipation of the opening created buzz throughout the community, receiving numerous media hits and recognition from local influencers. The announcement was featured in Houston Business Journal, CultureMap Houston and Eater Houston among others.
Bastion received praise from media and influencers leading up to and following La Table’s opening. Beyond the impressions secured from media placements, local influencers posted on social media reaching a potential audience of nearly 300,000 Houstonians.
The announcement of Cafe Leonelli and Le Jardinier’s opening at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston was very well-received by the press, creating anticipation for the concepts and interest in each chef. The announcement received multiple media hits and was featured in Houston Chronicle, Eater Houston and on KPRC-TV NBC 2’s website, among others.
Moving forward, The PR Boutique will help continue momentum for Cafe Leonelli and Le Jardinier leading up to the openings through earned media coverage, and help Bastion execute media and influencer tastings once the spaces are finished.
PLACEMENTS
Bastion received ample coverage from Houston’s top media and influencers. Below are samples of the placements categorized by restaurant:
LA TABLE
Media placements
CultureMap Houston
High-end Galleria-area French restaurant reopens with an ‘approachable’ vibe
Houston Business Journal
Galleria-area restaurant La Table seeks approachability with menu, format changes
La Table on Post Oak reopens with changes to menu, format
Eater Houston
Apparently, Houston Texans Star JJ Watt Is Really Into Yerba Mate
Resy
The December Hit List: The Lounge at MARCH, La Table, Indianola, Yi Peng, and More
Houston Press
Openings and Closings: Dog Haus Opens Soon, Firehouse Saloon Closes
My Red Glasses
One of Our Favorite Houston Restaurants is BACK – Update
Influencer posts
Eating with Catherine – (@eatingwithcatherine)
Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIzB7yZJdte/
Houston Hotspots – (@houstonhotspots)
Instagram Stories: https://theprboutique.box.com/s/q8ivq88k5nic1mrqrnvbjptylum7tdlv
Texas Food Gawker – (@texasfoodgawker)
Instagram Stories: https://theprboutique.box.com/s/nyrl1dfqng02li3nr7ce50d0ld27z4te
Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CH1EX5aH4-U/
Femme Foodie – (@femme_foodie)
Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CH68AGgATxi/
Mai Pham is also a freelance food write in Houston
Amber Elliott – (amberjelliott)
Instagram Stories: https://theprboutique.box.com/s/k32zcg6mmqj0wiqguvegfbba10zlva5p
Amber Elliott is the Arts + Society writer for the Houston Chronicle
Chita Craft – (@chita_craft)
Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CH34irTH1Vp/
Chita Craft is the weather anchor at KHOU-TV CBS 11 and a local influencer
CAFE LEONELLI AND LE JARDINIER
Media placements
KPRC-TV NBC 2
2 new restaurants led by Michelin-starred chefs opening at MFAH’s Kinder Building this spring
Houston Press
Degust and Diversion Debut, Velvet Taco Heights Opens
Houstonia Magazine
Michelin Star Restaurant Concept Coming this Spring to the MFAH
CultureMap Houston
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston reveals 2 new restaurants led by Michelin- starred chefs
Houston Chronicle
New MFAH restaurants boast chefs with Michelin stars galore
Chron.com
Michelin-Starred chefs head two new restaurants at Museum of Fine Arts
Houston Business Journal
Michelin-starred chefs dish on new restaurants for Museum of Fine Arts Houston
Michelin-starred chefs to open new restaurants at MFAH’s Kinder Building
Community Impact
Michelin-star chefs bringing Italian, French cuisine to MFAH
Houston CityBook Magazine
Michelin-Starred Chefs Announce Plans for New Restaurants at MFAH’s Kinder Building
Eater Houston
Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts Scores Two Exciting New Restaurants With Michelin Star Cachet