Marble Modern American Steakhouse is a newly opened venue that serves cultivated cuts and craft cocktails to a carved collection of locals and beyond, and the two cousins who brought it to life want nothing more than to see their hometown be home to a world-class nightlife and dining destination.
While most folks who open a bar or club seek the optimal nightlife environment to make the business work—big city, heavy foot traffic, established party scene, etc.—some prefer the notion of knowing personally their clientele as well as their employees, and opt to open a venue in their hometown, sourcing locals and friends for staff and appealing to longtime neighbors and word-of-mouth to keep the crowds coming in.
Of course, as with any nightlife endeavor, this homegrown approach can have its challenges as well as its rewards. Hiring friends and familiar faces, albeit those with service experience, can come with its own trappings, just as hiring complete strangers through resumes can do the same; Relying on the patronage of people you know in the neighborhood can be just as dangerous as relying on the kindness of strangers. Sometimes, your business and personal relationships simply don’t mix.
In the small town of Floral Park, New York, some 20 miles east of Manhattan, this very type of experiment is underway. Lifelong resident Christopher Corbett and his cousin Matthew recently partnered to open Marble Modern American Steakhouse, a full-scale bar and restaurant in the heart of town. Christopher, already part of an ownership group at a local tavern, J Fallon’s Tap Room, brings his working knowledge of the bar business to the table as the proprietor; Matthew, with a top-flight culinary background at venues like Todd English’s Ça Va, operates as partner and executive chef, overseeing all food service.
