From Patron to Proprietor: The Parker

There is a long standing tradition of framing the first dollar bill in bars and restaurants signifying the first customer and the very first dollar earned by that business. In a twist of fate, this tradition found new meaning at The Parker, when its current owner, Will Zapata, had the honor of signing that inaugural bill.

In 2018 Will, on his daily commute to bustling New York City, noticed the inviting "open" sign at a quaint coffee shop in West New York, NJ. Will walked in and happened to be the very first customer.  He stated, “Originally it was three of us, then in 2021, I became the owner. The most interesting thing about this, I worked in NYC in the restaurant business. The guy had just flipped the sign open and I walked in to get my daily espresso. I happened to be his very first customer.”

The owner, recognizing the significance of the moment, requested Will's signature on that inaugural dollar bill, which hangs in the shop today.

In recent a chat, we had the opportunity to discuss the story behind The Parker and his insights into the restaurant business.

How has your vision for The Parker evolved over time?

“This was only a coffee shop and we had a woman from Argentina working here. Her husband used to come in and he was one of the best chefs I know. We would always talk about restaurants and food, his name was Fernando. I thought to myself, ‘What could I do here that doesn’t require a full blown kitchen?’ So I had electric cooktops and we started making omelets. We then started making sandwiches and other things I learned from working in the industry. Fernando was really the person who put that idea about the food. We were both very passionate about food.”

Fernando shared valuable insights into the efficient kitchen practices of Argentina, highlighting that despite smaller spaces, operations were still made possible. He reassured Will that there was no need for immediate reconfiguration of the space and offered words of encouragement.

How has working with award winning celebrity Chef David Burke for 12 years shaped your expertise and approach to running a restaurant?

“David Burke does the US Open in the summer, he has a steakhouse there in queens. We had a crew that worked the summers. After that, he was opening up something new in midtown Manhattan and asked if I wanted to come onboard as a supervisor. Everyday when we would close, I would have to send reports and the numbers. I was being prepared for things that were coming up, even though I didn't know it. I was always in front of the house so this was behind the scenes. It’s something that I never did, so this was an opportunity to learn the backend of it” 

Operating a restaurant is known for its demanding nature. which comes as no surprise to those in the industry. Each day of the week presents its unique set of challenges. In our conversation, we spoke about the obstacles faced by restaurant owners and effective strategies to overcome them.

One issue, shared not only by individual restaurant owners but across the entire industry, is the escalating cost of food. To maintain a steady flow of diners, establishments are constantly seeking innovative ways to attract customers. For example, Applebee's successful date night pass promotion, which sold out in under 60 seconds across 41 states according to Today. Recently, there have been headlines about potentially implementing surge pricing strategies, with Wendy's being one of the notable participants.

“You gotta be strategic in how to move during these tough times, how to navigate, because a lot of people don’t survive. For me every week I try to create specials where I can offer variety and offer people something that makes them say, ‘oh, that sounds good, let’s go over there and try it.’ but at the same time, it still be profitable," he said.

Post-pandemic transitions have become evident in Hudson County, with a noticeable migration across the Hudson River. The clientele has changed in West New York.  I wondered if that impacted the way he constructed his menu or business strategies. Notably, differences exist in service between New York City establishments and those in New Jersey.

"I’ve always worked in New York City, so I was aware of what they look for. But, yeah, I never thought about that…If you never asked me about it, I would have never thought about it that way. I always knew that I would have a place. People would offer opportunities to run their investments like ‘I want you to run it, I want you to do it’ but I never did it, but I always knew I was going to open my own spot.”