Clary's to openn gourmet food market

Fine dining at its best still has some drawbacks. For example, most proprietors of fine restaurants probably wouldn't appreciate it if patrons showed up to eat lobster in their loungewear. If you do prefer to eat gourmet in your skivvies, however, James Clary may have the solution.

Clary's Market will open in April in the space formerly occupied by Clary's private dining room, next to Clary's American Grill in the Southern Hills Shopping Center.

Owner James Clary said the market will be an upscale carryout establishment and gourmet food market, and it will eventually offer cooking lessons, assist with kitchen planning and design, and sell professional cookware.

"When I leased that space seven years ago, I flipped a coin as to whether I should open a market or do the private dining room. The private dining room we made a profit on it but the space is almost half our rent and, proportionately, only accounted for about 8 percent of our sales," Clary said.

"In December, when (the private dining room) was full every night, it was worth keeping open. But we didn't have that kind of volume every night," he added.

Clary said the issue of convenience, coupled with the fast-paced lifestyles of people who enjoy eating well and entertaining, has led to the upscale food market trend, which he has seen in other cities for years.

"In the 90s and into the new millennium, people seem to be so busy, and the convenience factor has become so important. We've seen a huge rise in our catering business; people just don't have time to cook when they entertain anymore," Clary said.

Fresh produce from area farmers and imported food, wines and spices will be available at the market, as well as a sandwich station and refrigerated meals to take home.

Clary said fresh seafood and top grade meat will be available at the market and sauces served at the restaurant will also be available for purchase.

"It's not cheap to buy wild mushrooms imported from France ... I think now, if people have the time to cook, they're willing to pay for quality. I know so many working people who either eat out or get carryout five nights a week, and there's a limited number of restaurants in town where you can get good carryout," Clary said.

What won't be available at Clary's Market is seating.

Clary said Clary's Market will be only a market, unlike the Greenhouse Market, which tripled as a market, carryout establishment and restaurant, and closed in July 1998 after 10 months in business.

Noble & Associates and Greenhouse Market founder Bob Noble said at the time that Greenhouse's problem was that it was intended as a carryout establishment rather than a restaurant, but most people ate at Greenhouse as they would a restaurant.

As a result, not enough of the prepared foods sold as well as they should have, Noble said.

"We had considerable interest in the home meal replacement side of it, but there just weren't enough people interested in it," Noble told SBJ in an article on Greenhouse's closing in the July 13-19, 1998 issue.

Clary said he won't provide seating in Clary's Market because he thinks the seating offered at Greenhouse overshadowed the home meal replacement side of its business and confused patrons as to what exactly Greenhouse was: a restaurant, grocery store or carryout establishment.

"There is literally no room in our market for tables, so there won't be any confusion," Clary said.

Sous chef Craig Crosby, who formerly served as the sous chef for the Greenhouse Market, will operate Clary's Market.

Also, Clary said he will staff the market with five additional new employees.

"Our projections are very conservative, in my opinion, and I think that's how it should be.

"In order to show profit and be a viable business, we have to keep our costs very low. The problems we've seen in other markets such as this are that the costs to operate them were astronomical," he added.