Percy Rodriguez, the chief operations officer of Stout NYC Hospitality Group, looks at the blank façade on the outside of the bar/restaurant on the rooftop terrace atop the MC Hotel in Montclair and sees … a New York Giants game. And a World Cup match.
Or maybe a slideshow featuring all sorts of pictures of a bride and groom and their wedding parties.
Really, anything that would look great on two larger-than-life televisions, helping to enhance a party on what already is a premier open-air site in the state. One that has incredible views naturally built in.
Of course, that’s Stout NYC’s job: making something great, even greater.
“Picture two 85-inch TVs up there,” Rodriguez said. “Because why wouldn’t you want to watch the big game with your friends in an atmosphere like this?
“It’s how you create an elevated experience.”
It’s how Stout NYC has made a name for itself as the leading food and beverage company in the city.
And it’s why Rodriguez and his team have been brought in by Jeff Sica, the head of Circle Squared Alternative Investments, to help transform the MC Hotel into the premier luxury boutique hotel in the state, if not the Northeast, Sica said.
Sica, whose group has been a longtime investor but only recently gained operating control, is determined to not only raise the level of the quality and atmosphere around food and beverage service, but also the standard of service.
It’s why Sica brought in Stonebridge Companies, a national leader in hospitality, too.
“We decided we were going to be the best,” he said. “In order to be the best, you have to hire the best. So, we decided to hire top shelf, no second string.”
And let them go to work.
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Sica made his remarks at a recent event called the Summer Soiree — a gathering of approximately 250 of his closest friends and business colleagues with whom he shared his vision for what already is a landmark property in Montclair.
“We are going to turn the MC Hotel into an iconic brand,” he said. “We are going to turn it into the ultimate destination.”
While Stonebridge works on perfecting the service, Stout NYC will elevate the food, beverage and experience.
“When we first looked at the restaurants and the food and beverage outlets here, we just felt that there were missing opportunities for people not only to engage with each other, but also engage with America’s pastime in sports,” Rodriguez said.
“I think there’s an opportunity to create more of the upscale sports bar culture that we’re known for, up here on the terrace. And then, we’re going to slowly start to onboard the restaurants.”
Stout NYC will bring in a standalone Mediterranean restaurant on a property the group owns right next door, as well as an upscale steakhouse on the soon-to-be renovated first floor of the hotel.
All told, it could be a 6- to 18-month rollout. But Rodriguez promises it will be worth it. The goal is to create more than just a great hotel restaurant and bar for guests; he wants to make the MC Hotel the center of activity in town.
“I want the food and beverage to be a destination in and of themselves,” he said. “I want people to come to the MC Hotel just to experience the atmosphere as a part of Montclair.
“We don’t just want to be an afterthought or a supporting actor of what is arguably a great hotel. I want us to be as much of a draw as the hotel.”
Rodriguez said Stout intends to work with the community — he’s eager to give local groups a share of the revenue from events they hold at the hotel.
He also is eager to work with Stonebridge.
“We benefit tremendously from our partnership with them, making sure that the guests have a premier experience,” he said.
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The hotel has 156 rooms, a combination of units with one king or two queens — a number are suites. Few need upgrades.
The same can be said for the conference rooms and ballroom on the second floor.
There is a grand ballroom, which can accommodate a few hundred, and a number of smaller rooms for boardroom and off-site meetings. All have outdoor light, giving them life. And all surround a common area that can be used for food and beverage service.
Sica feels this is another strong selling point of the property.
“The density of corporations and businesses in this area is like few places in the country,” he said. “We want to become the hotel for businesses, where companies can take their teams for off-site meetings and really enjoy themselves with great food and a great atmosphere.
“We should be booked every day of the week.”
And not just for a few hours.
When the hotel is fully upgraded, Sica said he wants business users to stay for dinner, maybe a show in town, or an overnight stay.
It’s all part of making the MC Hotel a luxury destination that serves Montclair.
“We are in the best town in New Jersey,” he said. “We’re embracing this town and everything that’s important to this town. We intend to give our very best to make this hotel the best.”
How good?
“We want to take this incredible asset and turn it into an iconic brand,” he said. “We are going to turn it into the ultimate destination in the state of New Jersey, and maybe in the Northeast — based on the structure itself, the level of service and the elevated food and beverage experience.
“We will have everything that’s important to guests when they’re away from home.”
For information and reservations for The MC Hotel, go to marriot.com. and search MC Hotel.
