Pat Kuleto
Encyclopedia
Pat Kuleto is an American designer, restaurant impresario
, builder
, innkeeper, and winemaker
, credited with being the first American to bring recognition to restaurant design as a distinct form of interior design
. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area
, Kuleto had designed nearly 400 restaurants as of late 2009, including some of the most popular fine dining restaurants in the United States.
education. He was born and grew up in La Crescenta
, an unincorporated suburb
of Los Angeles
. The son of a building contractor, he often built things for himself as a child, including a large play fort with indoor plumbing when he was ten. He left home at age 18 in a camper
he had built. He started in the restaurant business as a busboy
, then rose to the positions of waiter
and cook
. Upon settling in Tahoe City he found work as a carpenter
and building contractor to remodel restaurants. When the contractor business was slow he offered to design several steakhouse
s for William McCormick
's Refectory Steakhouse chain for free in exchange for serving as the general contractor
for construction. By age 28 he had designed 60 restaurants, including 20 Refectory Steakhouses.
Kuleto is married to wife Shannon. Their son Daniel was born in 1996. Kuleto is described as physically "burly".
Kuleto's design process is often extemporaneous, rather than fully planned at the beginning of a project. He usually creates a fictional story about each location, imagining an old invented history. As an example, Epic Roasthouse is imagined as (and is close to the real-life location of) a pump house that was proposed but never built as a backup fire protection system in San Francisco, and would likely have prevented most of the destruction from the fires caused by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
, which ruptured most of the cities primary water mains. The restaurant is the pump house that would have saved the city.
, built in 1985 to resemble an American diner, is generally credited as Kuleto's first project to gain critical attention and widespread popularity.
As of 1989, 122 of the 125 restaurants he had designed so far had lasted more than 5 years. Boulevard, which opened in 1993 at a cost of $2.3 million repaid its initial investors within three years and as of 2008 was the second highest grossing independent restaurant in San Francisco, and 59th in the United States.
One restaurant that did not last five years was a branch of Carnegie Deli
in Beverly Hills, California
, which opened in 1989 at a cost of $4 million, financed and run by oil billionaire Marvin Davis
in response to Davis' belief that existing delis in California were of low quality. Davis' unwise business decisions and micromanagement of the restaurant are credited as causes of the decline of the restaurant, which went out of business in 1993. Other projects include Splendido (which closed in 2001) in San Francisco, Buckhead Diner in Atlanta, and Papagus in Chicago.
Restaurants in which Kuleto served as designer and co-owner include Jardinierre (with chef Traci Des Jardins
), Postrio (with Wolfgang Puck
), Farallon (an "undersea fantasy" with Mark Franz), Epic Roasthouse (with Jan Birnbaum), Waterbar (also with Mark Franz), Boulevard (a belle époque
design in an 1889 brick building that survived the 1906 earthquake, with Nancy Oakes), Kuleto's, McCormick & Kuleto's (a joint project with the McCormick & Schmick's
restaurant group at the site of the former Maxwell's Plum
), all in San Francisco, and Martini House in Napa Valley (with Todd Humphries).
and farms fish, produce
and olives on the property, most of which are processed for private events held on the property. In 2009 Kuleto sold a controlling interest
in the wine business (but only a small portion of the grounds and vineyards) to a small wine conglomerate run by financier
William Foley, who planned to increase production to more than 14,000 cases per year.
In 2000 Kuleto bought the Nick's Cove & Cottages, in the isolated unincorporated town of Nick's Cove, between Marshall, California
and Tomales, California
along the beach at Tomales Bay
in Marin County north of San Francisco. He restored the property to a rustic 1930s appearance at a cost of $14 million, then reopened it in 2007 as an inn
of twelve cabins and 130-seat restaurant. The 8-year project involved environmental mitigation
(the restaurant's kitchen is above a stream bed; the California red-legged frog
, an endangered species
, was discovered on the property during construction), restoration of dilapidated building, and a fishing pier.
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
, builder
Builder
Builder may refer to:* General contractor, that specializes in building work**Subcontractor* Construction worker who specializes in building work* Builder a component of modern detergents...
, innkeeper, and winemaker
Winemaker
A winemaker or vintner is a person engaged in winemaking. They are generally employed by wineries or wine companies, where their work includes:*Cooperating with viticulturists...
, credited with being the first American to bring recognition to restaurant design as a distinct form of interior design
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, Kuleto had designed nearly 400 restaurants as of late 2009, including some of the most popular fine dining restaurants in the United States.
Biography
Kuleto has no formal interior designInterior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
education. He was born and grew up in La Crescenta
La Crescenta-Montrose, California
La Crescenta-Montrose is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Los Angeles County, California, encompassing those parts of the Crescenta Valley not in the cities of Glendale or La Cañada Flintridge. However, both the unincorporated area and the portion of incorporated Glendale...
, an unincorporated suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. The son of a building contractor, he often built things for himself as a child, including a large play fort with indoor plumbing when he was ten. He left home at age 18 in a camper
Camper shell
A camper shell is a small housing or rigid canopy used as a pickup truck accessory. The housing is usually made of fiberglass or aluminum, and is mounted atop the pickup truck's rear bed. It usually covers the entire bed of the pickup truck, and is large enough to be used for camping purposes...
he had built. He started in the restaurant business as a busboy
Busboy
Busser, busboy and busgirl are terms used in the United States for someone who works in the restaurant and catering industry clearing tables, taking dirty dishes to the dishwasher, setting tables and otherwise assisting the waiting staff....
, then rose to the positions of waiter
Waiter
Waiting staff, wait staff, or waitstaff are those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers — supplying them with food and drink as requested. Traditionally, a male waiting tables is called a "waiter" and a female a "waitress" with the gender-neutral version being a "server"...
and cook
Cook (profession)
A cook is a person who prepares food for consumption. In Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Canada this profession requires government approval ....
. Upon settling in Tahoe City he found work as a carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
and building contractor to remodel restaurants. When the contractor business was slow he offered to design several steakhouse
Steakhouse
A steakhouse is a restaurant that specializes in beef steaks. The same type of restaurant is also known as a chophouse.The steakhouse started in the USA in the late 19th century as a development of traditional inns and bars....
s for William McCormick
William McCormick
William P. McCormick is an American businessman and diplomat. He served as the United States ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa from October 21, 2005 until January 10, 2009...
's Refectory Steakhouse chain for free in exchange for serving as the general contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
for construction. By age 28 he had designed 60 restaurants, including 20 Refectory Steakhouses.
Kuleto is married to wife Shannon. Their son Daniel was born in 1996. Kuleto is described as physically "burly".
Design style
Kuleto's work does not fit a specific school of design, and is often described as being heavily themed and unique to him. His projects are known for "whimsical" features, and use of expensive, hand-crafted ornamental materials. He says he finds inspiration in many real-life objects, situations, books, places, and landscapes. Most feature multiple dining rooms, a large bar that Kuleto describes as an "altar" that "legitimizes the drinking experience", and an "exhibition kitchen" so that diners can watch their food being cooked.Kuleto's design process is often extemporaneous, rather than fully planned at the beginning of a project. He usually creates a fictional story about each location, imagining an old invented history. As an example, Epic Roasthouse is imagined as (and is close to the real-life location of) a pump house that was proposed but never built as a backup fire protection system in San Francisco, and would likely have prevented most of the destruction from the fires caused by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
, which ruptured most of the cities primary water mains. The restaurant is the pump house that would have saved the city.
Restaurants
Kuletto is considered "one of the West Coast's most sought-after restaurant designers". Generally large, expensive, and independently owned, restaurants he has built have tended to be successful. Kuleto's 110th design, the Fog City Diner on San Francisco's EmbarcaderoThe Embarcadero (San Francisco)
The Embarcadero is the eastern waterfront and roadway of the Port of San Francisco, San Francisco, California, along San Francisco Bay, constructed atop an engineered seawall on reclaimed land, and derives its name from the Spanish verb embarcar, meaning "to embark"...
, built in 1985 to resemble an American diner, is generally credited as Kuleto's first project to gain critical attention and widespread popularity.
As of 1989, 122 of the 125 restaurants he had designed so far had lasted more than 5 years. Boulevard, which opened in 1993 at a cost of $2.3 million repaid its initial investors within three years and as of 2008 was the second highest grossing independent restaurant in San Francisco, and 59th in the United States.
One restaurant that did not last five years was a branch of Carnegie Deli
Carnegie Deli
The Carnegie Deli is a restaurant located in midtown Manhattan on 7th Avenue between 54th and 55th Streets and was opened in 1937 adjacent to Carnegie Hall. Now in the third generation of owners, the Parker family's delicatessen is among the most visited restaurants of its type in the city,...
in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
, which opened in 1989 at a cost of $4 million, financed and run by oil billionaire Marvin Davis
Marvin Davis
Marvin H. Davis was an American industrialist and philanthropist...
in response to Davis' belief that existing delis in California were of low quality. Davis' unwise business decisions and micromanagement of the restaurant are credited as causes of the decline of the restaurant, which went out of business in 1993. Other projects include Splendido (which closed in 2001) in San Francisco, Buckhead Diner in Atlanta, and Papagus in Chicago.
Restaurants in which Kuleto served as designer and co-owner include Jardinierre (with chef Traci Des Jardins
Traci Des Jardins
Traci Des Jardins is an American chef and restaurateur who co-owns Jardinière, a French influenced California fine-dining restaurant in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, California; chef/partner of Public House, a sports pub serving local, sustainable classic pub food near AT&T Park;...
), Postrio (with Wolfgang Puck
Wolfgang Puck
Wolfgang Johannes Puck is an Austrian-American celebrity chef, restaurateur, businessman and occasional actor. Wolfgang Puck restaurants, catering services, cookbooks and licensed products are run by Wolfgang Puck Companies, with three divisions...
), Farallon (an "undersea fantasy" with Mark Franz), Epic Roasthouse (with Jan Birnbaum), Waterbar (also with Mark Franz), Boulevard (a belle époque
Belle Époque
The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque was a period in European social history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until World War I. Occurring during the era of the French Third Republic and the German Empire, it was a period characterised by optimism and new technological and medical...
design in an 1889 brick building that survived the 1906 earthquake, with Nancy Oakes), Kuleto's, McCormick & Kuleto's (a joint project with the McCormick & Schmick's
McCormick & Schmick's
McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants is an American seafood restaurant chain, based in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1979, the publicly-traded company operates a total of 92 locations in North America under various brands. This includes seven Canadian locations that operate under the Boathouse...
restaurant group at the site of the former Maxwell's Plum
Maxwell's Plum
Maxwell's Plum was a "flamboyant restaurant and singles bar that, more than any place of its kind, symbolized two social revolutions of the 1960s – sex and food" at 64th and 1st Avenue in Manhattan...
), all in San Francisco, and Martini House in Napa Valley (with Todd Humphries).
Other projects
After making wine for 25 years, Kuleto established the Kuleto Estate Family Winery on an 800 acres (3.2 km²) property in Napa Valley. He purchased the estate in 1992 as a replacement for his old home, which had burned down, and spent the next five years building a 6000 square feet (557.4 m²) home there, which he called Villa Cucina. Although he began growing grapes on the ranch in 1993, and made his own wine, he had not opened up a commercial winery. Construction of the new winery began in 1999 and ended in 2003. As of 2005 the winery was producing 7,500 cases per year of wine, which it sold in the range of $20 to $50 per bottle, from 91 acres (368,264.3 m²) of grapes. Kuleto served as owner, builder, designer, and co-winemaker. He also raises livestockLivestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
and farms fish, produce
Produce
Produce is a generalized term for a group of farm-produced goods and, not limited to fruits and vegetables . More specifically, the term "produce" often implies that the products are fresh and generally in the same state as where they were harvested. In supermarkets the term is also used to refer...
and olives on the property, most of which are processed for private events held on the property. In 2009 Kuleto sold a controlling interest
Controlling interest
Controlling interest in a corporation means to have control of a large enough block of voting stock shares in a company such that no one stock holder or coalition of stock holders can successfully oppose a motion...
in the wine business (but only a small portion of the grounds and vineyards) to a small wine conglomerate run by financier
Financier
Financier is a term for a person who handles typically large sums of money, usually involving money lending, financing projects, large-scale investing, or large-scale money management. The term is French, and derives from finance or payment...
William Foley, who planned to increase production to more than 14,000 cases per year.
In 2000 Kuleto bought the Nick's Cove & Cottages, in the isolated unincorporated town of Nick's Cove, between Marshall, California
Marshall, California
Marshall is an unincorporated community in Marin County, California. It is located on the northeast shore of Tomales Bay south of Tomales, at an elevation of 23 feet .Marshall is located on the east shore of Tomales Bay...
and Tomales, California
Tomales, California
Tomales is a census-designated place on State Route 1 in Marin County, California, United States. The population was 204 at the 2010 census. The largest employer in Tomales is Tomales High School, which has a student body of approximately 250.-Geography:Tomales is located above Keys Creek,...
along the beach at Tomales Bay
Tomales Bay
Tomales Bay is a long narrow inlet of the Pacific Ocean in Marin County in northern California in the United States. It is approximately 15 miles long and averages nearly 1.0 miles wide, effectively separating the Point Reyes Peninsula from the mainland of Marin County. It is located...
in Marin County north of San Francisco. He restored the property to a rustic 1930s appearance at a cost of $14 million, then reopened it in 2007 as an inn
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
of twelve cabins and 130-seat restaurant. The 8-year project involved environmental mitigation
Environmental mitigation
Environmental mitigation, compensatory mitigation, or mitigation banking, are terms used primarily by the United States government and the related environmental industry to describe projects or programs intended to offset known impacts to an existing historic or natural resource such as a stream,...
(the restaurant's kitchen is above a stream bed; the California red-legged frog
California Red-legged Frog
The California red-legged frog, Rana draytonii, is a moderate to large species of frog. It is known under the scientific name Rana draytonii, after being long included with the northern red-legged frog The California red-legged frog, Rana draytonii, is a moderate to large (4.4–14 cm) species...
, an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
, was discovered on the property during construction), restoration of dilapidated building, and a fishing pier.
External links
- kuleto.com - official professional website