GARDEN OF EDEN OPENS SIT-DOWN CAFE

ROSEANNE HARPER

NEW YORK -- Garden of Eden Markets has opened a sit-down cafe in midtown and has already made changes, at the request of customers, that have boosted sandwich sales by 30%, the owners said.

The family-owned group of specialty stores [see "Eden's Temptations," SN, April 17, 2000] opened Eden Cafe -- its first unit with seating -- in midtown Manhattan. New Yorkers are not shy about saying what they want and in this case it was made-to-order sandwiches and self-service soup.

"We started out just the opposite. We had had a service station for soups, eight varieties of them, and we were offering pre-made sandwiches only, at a self-service case up front," said John Coskun, one of the owners.

He and his brother, Michael Coskun, have learned from operating their four retail units that it pays to listen to customers -- and to respond quickly, Coskun said. Just after they opened the 100-seat cafe, customers starting asking for sandwiches made to their liking.

"You know, some people don't want mayo, or they want a different kind of bread. They also said they like to lift the lid on soups to look at them and smell them. So we cut the varieties of soup in half and put them out on the floor, in self-serve kettles, opposite a made-to-order sandwich counter, which is where the service soup used to be," Coskun said.

SN noted that loaves of premium meats and cheeses are stacked in a refrigerated multi-deck in full view behind the sandwich prep area. In the foreground, sandwiches are made at a butcher block counter. A large number of toppings and breads are available, and customers were lined up to place their orders on the day SN visited the cafe.

The cafe's menu of hot foods is extensive, and includes such items as boneless prime rib with two sides for $6.95; giant baked, stuffed potatoes for $4.95; and pasta combinations with a variety of toppings for $5.95. The bulk of Eden Cafe's business right now is at lunchtime and most of it is takeout, but the seats fill up, too, Coskun pointed out.