On the ocassion of the reopening of the French Laundry last week, The SF Chronicle has a story on the challenges and pressures Thomas Keller has faced in opening Per Se, and some comparison of the two restaurants. Included in the story is the chart below, comparing the two restaurants by the numbers.
By the numbers, Per Se/French Laundry
Number of seats: 62*/62
Five-course menu: $135/$135
Nine-course tasting menu: $150/$150
People served per night: 85-100/80-85
Reservation requests a day: 400/300-350
Dining room space: 4,000 sq ft/2,100 sq ft
Kitchen space: 6,000 sq ft/1,800 sq ft
Selections on wine list: 700/650
Waiters: 54/34
Receptionists: 6/5
Full-time employees: 130/90
Yearly projected revenue: $12 million/$6.2 million
* plus 72 in private dining rooms
Related: NYMag on Keller, lengthy (and growing) eGullet thread on Per Se, including French Laundry comparisons (worth poking around)
