A slice of Lawry’s

Paul Clinton

Billing itself as a fast-food restaurant that’s “a cut above the

rest,” Lawry’s Carvery offers hot sandwiches, salads and soups.

Quality food at an affordable price has been the mantra.

The eatery has been cut from the Lawry’s cloth, which has produced

Beverly Hills’ The Prime Rib, Los Angeles’ Tam O’Shanter Inn and

Corona del Mar’s Five Crowns.

“It certainly has our name on the line and our reputation for

quality,” said David Stockman, the senior vice president with Lawry’s

restaurants.

Lawry’s Carvery, which opened Friday, serves sandwiches made from

hot roasted meats, salads, turkey, soups and other items. It’s on the

second floor of South Coast Plaza.

The eatery replaced Cafe Pasquini, a popular eatery that closed

about a year ago.

Stockman, who lives in Newport Coast, spearheaded the team of

Lawry’s executives who developed the idea about 18 months ago.

Five Crowns chef Dennis Brask, who lives in Corona del Mar, has

also joined a crew of food preparers at the Carvery.

Lawry’s has sunk $1.5 million into a restaurant that is considered

a “quick-casual eatery,” a new style of eateries oriented toward

fast, high-quality food.

“It’s a whole new segment [of the restaurant market],” Stockman

said. “We don’t feel anybody is doing what we’re doing.”

An average lunch tab will run about $8, Stockman said.

Stockman and his team devoted six arduous months to perfecting the

menu, sampling breads, salads and other foods before placing them on

the menu.

Careful attention was paid to make the Carvery more than just a

steakhouse-style eatery that would appeal mostly to men.

“One of the challenges is that there are more women shoppers,”

Stockman said. “If it’s going to be successful, it needs to appeal to

a wider audience.”

On Friday, Carvery managers cracked the seal on the newest edition

to their chain of restaurants that began with The Prime Rib, which

was opened by Lawrence Frank in 1922.

Situated in South Coast Plaza, which Stockman describes as “one of

the top three or four regional malls” in the country, gives the

Carvery a chance for blockbuster success, he said.