The acquisition of his first restaurant business comes just a few months after the birth of his first child. Kushnick tells GlobeSt.com the opportunity actually arose last year but, as negotiations dragged on and the birth of his son drew neigh, he decided to wash his hands of the deal. "I decided it just wasn't the right time," says Kushnick.
A few months later, on the day of his son's birth, Kushnick got an e-mail saying the property was still available, so he decided to start looking at it in earnest. "It still wasn't the best timing," says Kushnick, "but it was the right time for me."
So after an eight-month hiatus, Kushnick is back in the restaurant business, this time as manager and sole proprietor. "It's really a place where I can touch every table, where I can personally control the quality of service as I do when entertaining at my home," he says.
As part of the purchase from Tova Cubert and his chef/partner Chris Hunter, Kushnick assumed a lease with about one-year remaining and has negotiated the terms for a five-year extension of that lease. The lease rate is in the mid-$20s per sf per year. Kushnick says the current set up will allow him to expand the 60-seat restaurant within its existing walls as necessary, including the addition of a private dining room.
Despite two weeks of dormancy while negotiations were completed, Supreme comes with an existing clientele. The restaurant earned recognition as Best New Restaurant for the year from Seattle Magazine in 2001 and in 2002 was recognized as having one of the Top 10 New Wine Lists in America by Food & Wine magazine. Kushnick says he has opted to retain the name and the entire staff, as well as the general menu concept, which he likened to a rough diamond that will benefit from a good polishing.
Supreme's new menu will continue to reflect sustainable, organically grown produce and humanely raised meats that have earned the restaurant a reputation for healthful, quality cuisine. As for the space, Supreme also will undergo a slow transformation that includes some painting, new fixtures and accessories. Two large murals by artist Whiting Tennis will remain.
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