Orlando Business Journal Reports More Dining Changes & Updates for World Showcase

[Figment!]

The Orlando Business Journal recently conducted interviews with Ricky Debler (President of San Angel Inn LLC) and Memo Emec (Epcot Regional Manager of Operating Participants).

The Key Points from the Interviews:

• L'Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante will close August 31, 2007. The Patina Restaurant Group will reopen the space September 1, 2007 operating a generic Italian restaurant with a different menu until the Summer of 2008. The location will close for renovation from Summer 2008 through Fall 2008, re-opening Late 2008 as a brand new restaurant.
• Tempura Kiku and the Matsunoma Lounge are to be replaced by new Japanese eatery with an emphasis on sushi when the area re-opens August 25, 2007
• The China pavilion has debuted The Joy of Tea kiosk
• The Lotus Blossom Cafe has completed a cosmetic refurbishment
• Nine Dragons will close in early 2008 for renovations. The kitchen will be redesigned to allow guests to interact with the chefs at five different stations, ordering and watching the food being prepared.
• 25 additional seats were added to the San Angel Inn restaurant as part of the attraction refurbishment.
• A 50- to 60-seat tequila bar is planned to replace part of the existing retail area near the San Angel Inn. The Bar is scheduled to open Late Summer 2007.
• Cantina de San Angel will under-go refurbishments to expand its kitchen, realign seating areas to improve the view of the World Showcase lagoon and a feature a new menu. No Start date was given, but the changes are anticipated to be complete by Summer 2008.
• Le Cellier in the Canada pavilion, the Biergarten in the Germany pavilion and the Rose & Crown Pub & Restaurant in the United Kingdom pavilion are scheduled for minor refurbishments.

The Orlando Business Journal also picked-up on the following from "insiders", although it was not confirmed by either of the two aforementioned officials:

• Chefs de France and Restaurant Marrakesh are in the design process for major renovations planned sometime after 2008.

The following is the full article:

Epcot Eateries Set for Major Makeovers

Italian pavilion restaurant to get new operator.

Orlando Business Journal
by Bob Mervine | Staff Writer
April 27, 2007

LAKE BUENA VISTA -- Dining at Walt Disney World's Epcot theme park is about to get a makeover.

Most of the popular internationally themed restaurants in Epcot's World Showcase area have begun to show their age, say some restaurant operators.

Four major eateries will undergo overhauls in the next year -- those in the theme park's Italy, Japan, China and Mexico pavilions.
Three Disney-operated restaurants in Epcot are getting minor touchups -- in the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany pavilions.
In addition, the planned makeover of the restaurant in the France pavilion is still in design, and won't start for a year or two.

Big bucks

Eight major eateries in the park's pavilions opened 25 years ago, and contracts signed then between Disney -- at a time when the entertainment giant was eager to create culinary credibility -- are coming up for renewal.

While Disney won't reveal any dollar amounts for these deals -- and the restaurant operators are guarding the competitive details of their contracts closely -- one participant says it's big bucks.

Contract re-negotiations this time around focused on longer terms and larger capital commitments than previously, says Ricky Debler, president of San Angel Inn LLC, which runs the Mexico pavilion restaurants in Epcot.

"Disney needs improvements and capital investments in Epcot," says Debler. "This is a way to revitalize and update the pavilions. All together, it's a huge chunk of money."

Goodbye, Alfredo

The biggest change is in the Italy pavilion.

L'Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante will close Aug. 31, and a new operator, the Patina Restaurant Group, will reopen the space the next day, operating a generic Italian restaurant with a different menu until the summer of 2008, when it will close for remodeling. It will open again late next year with a new name, new look and new menu.

Alfredo's management would not comment on Disney's decision. The company, Alfredo, the Original of Rome (Fla.) Inc., is run by Russell Bellanca, son of the man who owned the North American rights to the use of the name of the original Roman restaurant. Disney says it's the most popular at Epcot, grossing more than $20 million last year.

The decision to change the Italian restaurant operator came about as a business opportunity to modernize the eatery, says Memo Emec, Disney's regional manager of operating participants.

Those close to Alfredo's say the company's management was surprised by the decision. It's possible the company will use the value of the Alfredo's brand and relocate off Disney property, perhaps in a non-Disney hotel in Lake Buena Vista.
Meanwhile, in Epcot's Japan pavilion, Tempura Kiku and the Matsunoma Lounge have been demolished to make way for a new Japanese eatery with an emphasis on sushi, says Memo.

As yet unnamed, the redesign will take advantage of the views of the World Showcase area of Epcot from the second floor seating area when it reopens, currently slated for Aug. 25.

The China pavilion in Epcot has added new tea kiosk, The Joy of Tea, which opened in March and features an array of popular cold and hot teas, including the whimsical bubble tea -- fruit flavors with small tapioca pearls drunk through an oversized straw.

The quick-serve Lotus Blossom Cafe has gotten an updated look without losing traditional menu items.

The main restaurant, Nine Dragons, will close in early 2008 for a revamp. The kitchen, says Memo, will be redesigned to allow guests to interact with the chefs at five different stations, ordering and watching the food being prepared.

Tequila toast

During a makeover of the ride in Epcot's Mexico pavilion, Disney also added 25 more seats to the San Angel Inn restaurant.

At the end of this summer, Debler will open a 50- to 60-seat tequila bar in a former retail shop, emphasizing the historical and cultural aspects of the classic Mexican beverage.

Major changes are planned for the pavilion's outdoor eatery, Cantina de San Angel, including a kitchen expansion, realigning seating areas to improve the view of the World Showcase lagoon and a new menu -- all expected to be done by next summer.

Moreover, three other original World Showcase restaurants will see varying degrees of change: Le Cellier in the Canada pavilion, the Biergarten in the Germany pavilion and the Rose & Crown Pub & Restaurant in the United Kingdom pavilion are scheduled for minor rehabilitation.

The two other major sponsored restaurants, in the French and Moroccan pavilions, won't see any changes until at least 2008. Insiders say both pavilions sponsors are on track to continue their presence, and at least one, Chefs de France, will see some major updating if negotiations proceed as planned.

[Pop Centurion]

Thanks for the news. I'm real interested in the menu that will be available at the restaurant that takes the place of Alfredo's.

[4myprincesses]

Mmmmm...new sushi restaurant in Japan.

I will be there in Sept of 07, wonder what the odds are of being able to rsvp in this place and is it worth giving up our dinner for two at LeCellier? Perhaps we keep LeCellier and go to our favorite Kimono's for a sushi fix.

Jury still out on this and I am looking forward to more info...

[2Epcot]

Thanks for the information. Any improvements and updates to the parts of Epcot that are showing their age sounds like good news.

[Crow]

did someone say Tequila bar?
glad they added more seating.
ill b looking forward to the reopening of the places in Japan. the lounge is my fav place to sip sake and watch the view.
interesting about Nine Dragons also.

[JPL]

Talking to a friend who has some connection in the company it seems that these changes are all related to DDP. The main reason for the departure of Alfredo's was their unwillingness to accept what Disney was paying them from DDP participants. They therefore opted to not renew their contract. I am ssuming alot of the other changes are to increase the profit margin of the DDP. The first sign of this change was the limiting of the menus at several restaurants.

[potzie]

JPL,

Are these new changes to the DDP? Have they gone and changed what's included?

Cheers,

Potzie

[Mickey91]

I hope they don't change what you can order. There won't be any value for the guest if they keep taking the quality and quantity down. In my opinion, Disney needs to get back to the business of creating magic for their guests and not lining the pockets of their execs. I know a business is for making profit. But, at some point, quality has to rule. If not, the magic will disappear along with the guests.

I am a big fan of the dining plan. It allows us to budget the trip and pay for all aspects of it before we get there. This is way more magical than trying to make sure there is enough money at the end of the week to buy gas on the way home. But, if it begins to deminish the quality of the food and atmosphere of the dining experience, I would be in favor of it being discontinued. We noticed in Dec. that the wait staff was not near as friendly and accomodating as in the past. Could this have to do with the fact they would get an 18% tip regardless of how they performed??? We usually tip 20% and the first year we added the extra 2% to our ticket. Last year the service wasn't worth it and the wait staff got only what the plan allowed.

Anyhow, I hope the dining plan continues to be a great value and that the food and service remain good quality.

[comicguy]

I am a bit concerned about where the Tequila bar is going to be(50-60 people) Most of the the retail shops in the Mexico pavillian are small, so I am assumming it will be placed where the Mexico Market is in the middle of the pavillian??? That seems to be the only logical place. If it is placed here my wife won't be happy, she loves the shopping experiance she gets from here.

Also, can some one tell me where they added the extra tables to San Angel Inn?? I am curious.

[Crow]

ill report when i get back in a few wks. i cant see them takin the market out as im sure it makes them some money. mayb 1 of the sideshops?

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . In my opinion, Disney needs to get back to the business of creating magic for their guests . . .

1) Unfortunately, they are.
2) People want QUANTITY of food, not QUALITY.
3) Folks just want to graze.
4) If this was not the case, you would hear complaints.
5) Instead, folks want more Free Dining.
6) Not GREAT dining.

NOTE: I see things getting worse at eateries, not better. I predict menus to be more standardized and more plain. There are too many examples of this already happening.

[joelkfla]

They tried more exotic oriental menus at Tomorrowland Noodle Terrace and Sunshine Seasons (or whatever The Land food court is these days.) Both were spectacular flops.

Both had to moderate their menus, and Tomorrowland Terrace is shut down for most of the year.

Seems like the majority of guests are just not ready to be adventurous with food choices in the parks.

[snifflesmcg]

What a shame. I always look forward to those shops in Mexico as they are unique.

[dumbo ears]

Thanks for the news!