Ottilie Coldbeck, Public Relations Assistant
Last month, Chairman’s Steakhouse opened in Mahogany’s lake-side resort-style community, Westman Village by Jayman BUILT. Chairman’s is an exciting new culinary concept brought to life by one of Calgary’s most notable restauranteurs, Vintage Group in the south of Calgary.
This new restaurant embodies the glitz and glamour of Old Hollywood, inviting all to experience the iconic era of the Rat Pack and Marilyn Monroe. However, opening a restaurant of this calibre outside of Calgary’s downtown core meant that awareness and word-of-mouth were key drivers in inviting Calgarians from across the city to experience the steakhouse.
The Grand Opening in June included a VIP guest list of Calgarians, influencers and media to experience the unique concept restaurant. Guests were greeted by paparazzi along a red-carpet entrance. Once inside, the restaurant had been transformed into an Old Hollywood scene, with live music and a 3D photobooth inspired by a classic movie premier.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a party without a few special guests. Brookline coordinated Rat Pack Impersonators, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr, accompanied by Marilyn Monroe, to be flown in from Las Vegas to add a creative flare.
From an Old Hollywood inspired cocktail menu, to Vintage Car photo ops and live music entertainment, no detail was forgotten for this iconic grand opening event.
In addition to event coordination and management, Brookline facilitated all media relations efforts related to Chairman’s. This included a long-lead media strategy prior to the official opening and a post-launch media engagement strategy for continued momentum.
To generate buzz for the opening of Chairman’s Steakhouse in advance of the opening, Brookline coordinated with long lead publications, including Avenue Magazine, City Palate and Culinaire Magazine to secure coverage for the highly-anticipated opening. Media and influencers in attendance at the June 8th opening event generated coverage across both traditional and social media platforms, including long form articles in both Calgary Herald and Curiocity Calgary.
Following the grand opening, Brookline engaged with local media and influencers for an exclusive dinner at the restaurant with demonstrations from Executive Head Chef Cedric Truchon and resident mixologist Justin “JD” Darnes.
Brookline’s efforts resulted in coverage in a variety of print and online publications, and a Global News Morning segment featuring Executive Head Chef Truchon. With the city still buzzing about the new restaurant offering and guests raving about their experience, Chairman’s Steakhouse is set to be the talk of the town for many months to come.
Brookline was thrilled to work alongside Westman Village and Vintage Group for this event and to continue working with Jayman BUILT and Westman Village as their agency of record for all communications initiatives.
Ottilie Coldbeck is a Public Relations Assistant at Brookline Public Relations. As a self-proclaimed adventure seeker, Ottilie challenges herself to remain outside her comfort zone in all aspects of her life. Ottilie has a passion for story-telling – helping brands communicate their messages in an authentic manner.