Local restaurant analysis: Ledo's Pizza and Pasta decor, atmosphere, and service

RJ Gators

Casual diners are always looking for a restaurant where they can get quality food for everyone from the seniors to youngsters in their family. Plus, it is more entertaining to eat somewhere that has a different schtick, as long as it goes along with good taste. Even the finest decor will not make up for bad food. R.J. Gator's has an interesting mix of this schtick and wide variety of decent food for all ages. Also, the owner of the restaurant is hungry enough for franchise expansion that he is still very concerned about service and reputation.

Tim Timoteo, who founded R.J. Gator's with his late wife Joan, had previously owned and run Mr. Angus Steak & Seafood, a restaurant chain in Pennsylvania before selling and relocating to Florida in 1986. Timoteo wanted to open another restaurant, since that was his expertise, so he began searching for a niche. He looked for a type of place that would stand out from all the other restaurants in the area plus fit into the Florida culture. After traveling around the state and checking out the competition, Timoteo realized that most establishments catered to tourists, rather than to locals who lived in the respective communities. This led him to create a place where residents could enjoy pub food amid a rustic everglades lodge theme with real Florida springs.

There are two tales (or "tails") behind the name of the restaurant. Initially, the "R.J." portion of the name was conceived by taking Timoteo's first initial (his birth name is Reginald) and the first initial of Joan. Then, as the restaurant opened, Timoteo got an idea for a rockin' and jammin' gator as the restaurant's logo and mascot. The first 100-seat restaurant was located in Jupiter, and now there are about 20 establishments mostly Florida as well as in North Carolina, Louisiana and Texas. Georgia will soon be added to the mix. The company expects to open 12 new sites this year and are advertising for franchisees. Sales were up 6% in 2004 and 15% so far this year. (It is unknown what has happened to the restaurant in Louisiana.)

J.Gator's continues to serve its market fresh seafood, hot and spicy chicken wings, burgers, and specialty sandwiches. Now the menu also includes unique salads and Florida signature foods such as Havana Banana Chicken with black beans, rice and sweet plantains, Hand Made Coconut Shrimp as well as the Market Fresh Catch of the Day.

Food includes the alligator tail ($5.49), one with tender chunks of golden fried meat served with cocktail sauce and another thyme-laden Caribbean-style; a plate of "strings" ($6.99), a mile-high pile of thin, fried onions that is rolled in a spicy batter before being plunged into hot fat; and the standards such as nachos, quesadillas, spinach dip, wings, fingers, pizza, burgers etc.

The Florida catch ($8.99) is often grouper and there is an assortment of seafood including platters of scallops, clams, shrimp and myriad types of fish. There is also crunchy coconut shrimp ($13.99) with a tropical flavor. The Florida-style crab cakes ($12.99) are seasoned with Caribbean tastes. Because he is expanding outside of the Florida market and beyond its initial resident-based customers, last year Timoteo hired a California food marketing firm to look over the menu and make changes where necessary.

From the outside, the restaurant looks like another one of those tourist traps that sells shells, gator claws and snow globes. The inside is surprising, anything but a dive, but still something different. There are rocking booths and a "pie in the face" birthday treat at some locations. The outside bar is a mix between the oceanfront bar and something seen in the Northeast like a "Cheers."

Always themed as a Florida Everglades resort, the more recent look includes larger logs so the walls appear more woodsy and rustic like an authentic log cabin. The newer restaurants are also more open, with more tie-ins to nature and the Everglades lodge theme. The menu proclaims it is "where the locals go." Waiters and waitress, called Everglades Guides, wear shorts and bright shirts. One of the new dining areas is a patio for up to 50 guests with less clutter and kitsch than before, but that still includes stuffed alligators and the rocking chairs and tables. Timoteo is looking for a broader demographic and is getting more of the midscale family people, empty nesters and babyboomers.

Despite the fact that Florida is not the easiest state for restaurants due to high land and utility costs, a rotating crowd of customers and a lot of competition, it seems that the R.J. Gator's has been experiencing success for a number of reasons. The owner has been locating his restaurants near malls to draw crowds. The fact that his place looks different than the other local joints is another plus. Other positives are the reasonable cost for a meal, as well as the eclectic but not too weird decor and choice between munchies and full meals. Timoteo has been in the restaurant business for a long time and has been taking his time building up the business and getting it right before expanding. It looks like he is as good of a businessperson as a restaurateur and entrepreneur. This year, a former senior VP of Citibank said he was going to open 10 of the restaurants, so he must be quite impressed with what he has seen. Mike Costello, a former partner with Outback Steakhouse, has joined the R.J. Gator's team to develop the South Florida market, which looks like another coup.

From what is seen, the company has quite good web presence as well as marketing for franchisees. For customers, it runs local advertisements in the press and some TV/radio. When the restaurant moves to locations outside of Florida, especially in the North, it may have to market somewhat differently to let people know not to be turned off by the more rustic and gimmicky look. Yet, diners, even in staid New England, are looking for gimmicks, so it should work if the food is good for the money. Outside of Florida it may be better to market more to the younger singles crowd, which does not seem to be high on the list of the present marketing mix but does a lot of eating out in other parts of the country. Also, it has been recommended that the restaurant promote more of the take out or curbside service, which would also do well where there are a lot of two-wage families that do not have time to make a meal for dinner.