Replacing Kouzina

[lockedoutlogic]

That doesn't mean that there wasn't relentless cost pressure from the operations side, especially due to the dining plan.

He shoots he scores!!!

I agree with all that you said...however the line above is really all that had mattered for 10 years.

In the 1970s and 1980s... Working any job at WDW was a privilege (I'm told be those who experienced it)...now it is not and hasn't been for some time.

You see the correlation?

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Bobby Flay!!!!

His restaurants aren't that great...to be honest.

Been to a few of them.

And I love the approach and his shows... To be clear

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Bobby Flay!!!!

Although anything is possible at this point, my opinion is that it's very unlikely that the "new concept" replacing Kouzzina by Cat Cora will involve a licensing agreement with a celebrity chef.

Walt Disney World tried that -- exactly once.

Disney tried to give Spoodles a shot in arm with the license agreement with Cat Cora. Five years later, Disney and Cora are parting ways -- which is the topic of this thread. So Disney's own restaurants will be back to zero restaurants operating under a license from a celebrity chef.

Before someone tells me I'm wrong and mentions Wolfgang Puck at Downtown Disney, allow me to point out that Wolfgang Puck at DTD is owned by Levy Restaurants, not by Disney.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Not that it would happen but....I would love to see this place turned into a casual counter service restaurant with emphasis on healthier options serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The whole lake area is devoid of a good CS option with the exception of the Swalphin. Breakfast burritos, fresh salads, interesting flatbreads, grilled fish tacos, lettuce wraps...could totally make it into a meal-on-the-go type place to stay and eat or take it with. Then let the Boardwalk bakery be just that....a bakery and bring in Babycakes to share the store to add diversity to the Bakery with options for more people.

I know it will never happen but a girl can dream.....

 

[beachgirl2000]

I have reservations there in August -- I was going to change them since it will be closing (I thought maybe because the food wasn't good) but now that I know its just because the lease is up, I will keep them. I always liked Cat Cora. We are travelling from POFQ to do this dinner. Hope its good!

 

[chainkid]

IMO the area food options would be greatly enhanced if they put in a food court option like Seasons in the land. You could get quality fast food for families that didn't want a full service dining option.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

but now that I know its just because the lease is up, I will keep them. I always liked Cat Cora.

It's not that any lease is up. It's always been a Disney owned-and-operated restaurant -- when it was originally Spoodles and still now that it's Kouzzina by Cat Cora.

Disney has a licensing agreement with Cat Cora's company, C2 Restaurant Group, LLC. It's apparently a 5-year contract.

My guess is that Disney hoped that business would soar at what had been Spoodles by putting Cat Cora's name on it, pouring her Coranation Wines, and using her recipes. But it doesn't seen any harder to get reservations at Kouzzina now than when it was Spoodles.

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

His restaurants aren't that great...to be honest.

Been to a few of them.

And I love the approach and his shows... To be clear

My wife has been to his restaurant in NYC and said the same thing. He is a great showman and a great Iron Chef, but I hear you...

On Michael Symon:

I would agree that Disney does not want a celebrity chef collaboration, but if they did put some kind of Michael Symon restaurant there, I'd be the first person to call at 180 days out to get a reservation there. He is a great chef and his restaurant here in Detroit is amazing. For those of you that have watched him on Iron Chef, his restaurant food is as amazing as his creations on that show. The guy really does know how to cook meat. ANY KIND OF MEAT!

 

[Teresa Pitman]

We also loved Kouzina and will be very sorry to see it go. My family is vegan, and this was one place the chefs always seemed to go out of their way to give us unusual and delicious meals. I agree that the location was a bit out of the way, but the food was really good.

TP

 

[aprestwich]

+1 on turning it into a quality Counter Service restaurant, maybe something like the CS location at Coronado where it's a blend of table and counter.

We've stayed at Yacht and Beach numerous times in the past two years (20+ nights) and we've come to the conclusion that the lack of a CS option is going to keep us from going back. Hurricane Hannah's and Marketplace just don't cut it. Even the GF or Poly have better options than the Epcot Resorts.

It's probably too late for Disney to take my opinions into account, but that's my two cents!

Andrew

 

[Uncleromulus]

I always wondered why "Celebrity Chef" Cat Cora allowed her name to be used for a rather ordinary 1 TS credit restaurant

Anyway--A signature restaurant is already next door and other signature spots but a short walk away. The beer and burger crowd already have Big River and ESPN.

That doesn't leave too many options--

 

[BraveCruiser]

Maybe Cat Cora was the one who didn't want to extend the agreement.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Maybe Cat Cora was the one who didn't want to extend the agreement.

Her star has definitely fallen a bit.

She hasn't had as lasting an impression - It seems to me - as some of the other food network types.

I also don't think the menu/concept is quite right for the crowd...
Other than animal kingdom lodge and artists point...you don't have alot of non mainstream concepts at hotels as far as restaurants. While I enjoyed it well enough...it didnt seem that "Greek/Mediterranean fusion" stuck very well. You could almost always get kouzzina on a reservation before most other locations throughout its run.

I don't care what they put in there as long as its not another giftshop. It's proximity to the other hotels and the two parks means its a prime location for a...wait for it...character buffet...don't be shocked.

 

[beer dave]

Her star has definitely fallen a bit.

She hasn't had as lasting an impression - It seems to me - as some of the other food network types.

I also don't think the menu/concept is quite right for the crowd...
Other than animal kingdom lodge and artists point...you don't have alot of non mainstream concepts at hotels as far as restaurants. While I enjoyed it well enough...it didnt seem that "Greek/Mediterranean fusion" stuck very well. You could almost always get kouzzina on a reservation before most other locations throughout its run.

I don't care what they put in there as long as its not another giftshop. It's proximity to the other hotels and the two parks means its a prime location for a...wait for it...character buffet...don't be shocked.

Oh god I hope not.... soon there won't be anywhere to just eat. I'm not usually on the price complaint commission, but I want to say it was around o8 when the buffet character breakfasts went from 15.99 to 25.99 and up. Thee is alot of things I don't mind paying for, but scrambled eggs for 30 bucks is no bueno. I keep waiting for the AK lodge breakfast to go character. That is about the last stronghold.

 

[Lewisc]

Although anything is possible at this point, my opinion is that it's very unlikely that the "new concept" replacing Kouzzina by Cat Cora will involve a licensing agreement with a celebrity chef.

Walt Disney World tried that -- exactly once.

Disney tried to give Spoodles a shot in arm with the license agreement with Cat Cora. Five years later, Disney and Cora are parting ways -- which is the topic of this thread. So Disney's own restaurants will be back to zero restaurants operating under a license from a celebrity chef.

Before someone tells me I'm wrong and mentions Wolfgang Puck at Downtown Disney, allow me to point out that Wolfgang Puck at DTD is owned by Levy Restaurants, not by Disney.

or Disney could decide to lease that location to Levy, Patina, the corporation which operates the Mexican restaurants or any other company which wants to operate a restaurant in that location and who is willing to pay $$$ Disney's price.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Well--its virtually right next door to the FF.

That restaurant always seems crowded (at least it is when we eat there). And it isn't all that large.

And I'm thinking they wouldn't want anything that would be serious competition to FF

So--- maybe just expand the FF???

To add that this discussion is also on the restaurants board and many there want something that would serve B L and D.

 

[jfelcie]

We are DVC Board Walk and would love an upscale, quick service, family style restaurant.

 

[jenniferlaural]

IMO the area food options would be greatly enhanced if they put in a food court option like Seasons in the land. You could get quality fast food for families that didn't want a full service dining option.

I agree, love the resort, but the food options were a little tough. I get the theming and all, but a food court would be nice.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I enjoyed Spoodles but did not try Kouzinna because the menu did not appeal to me.

I would like to see something a bit more boardwalk themed.

I think a CS or even a cafeteria style restaurant would be a good option. I hope that it is not a character buffet. I'm quite sure that a Star Wars character breakfast would be a very hot ticket.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I agree, love the resort, but the food options were a little tough. I get the theming and all, but a food court would be nice.

That is probably unlikely though...I remind that they JUST redid the boardwalk bakery to offer more options last summer. It's not as comprehensive as a foodcourt, but they spent capital funds to redesign it and now it is similar to Its counterpart over at beach club.

For some reason, the quickserve concept was almost entirely rejected for yacht, beach, and boardwalk...hurricane Hannah's recent renovation being the closest to a Disney quickserve.

I've kinda always liked that...they don't have the same feel as port Orleans and that's nice. But they did have a collection of slightly different stuff - Beaches and cream, espn, big river, etc - that gave a different feel. Remember also boardwalk was a hybrid design to also have it's own destination/entertainment...it's sad that Eisner/Iger/suits/stockwatch have effectively strangled/eliminated that kind of creativity for accounting purposes.

The more likely alternative at spoodles/kouzzina is a more familiar sitdown - like boatwrights or Olivia's or the wave - to process people. Even if its in the interim.

Spoodles worked for 15 years...to be honest I didnt quite get the replacement. Kouzzina just wasn't a destination spot to warrant slamming it in there. They missed a little.

Also, as had been suggested, there could be a third party lease to an outside vendor... Which honestly is preferable as Disney's heart isn't in these things anymore...mostly due to hand wringing over employees and overhead getting in the way of searching the couch cushions for loose change of profits.