Shadowbrook at Shrewsbury
Posted by estiator at 9 March, at 14 : 02 PM Print
COVER STORY
Jimmy Kourgelis brings his catering magic to a historic estate.
BY CONSTANTINE N. KOLITSAS
PULLING INTO SHADOWBROOK at Shrewsbury, a historic estate that today is famed New Jersey caterer/entrepreneur Jimmy Kourgelis’s most recently acquired property, the visitor is immediately thrust back into another time. The feeling makes sense: The site, with its centerpiece mansion constructed in 1912, was the country estate of Dr. Ernest Fahnestock, a member of the New York City social elite in the early part of the century. Later, it was sold and became central New Jersey’s most exclusive restaurant and inn, playing host to U.S. presidents and scores of celebrities, diplomats, dignitaries, and socialites. Since purchasing the estate more than four years ago, Mr. Kourgelis has restored its elegance and created a destination venue for brides and grooms from Manhattan and the entire Northeast. In early 2019, he closed the venue for 15 months, investing upwards of $30 million into the facility, in a construction project that has expanded the capacity of the mansion’s catering room to accommodate up to 600 guests, all while preserving and celebrating the character of the grand, historic structure.
“I’m looking at the carpet sample, and I like the pattern and the colors.”
Kourgelis is on speaker phone with one of the contractors who will help transform his vision into reality. It’s early in the project’s phase, over a year ago, and the first flakes of snow are falling in what turned out to be a mess of a first winter’s snowstorm. He’s dressed to a T in a designer suit, every hair in place, and with every detail of his appearance meticulously planned and carried out.
“What I don’t like is these streaks of lines that go through the pattern.”
“With those lines, the carpet will look newer as it gets older, hiding some of the wear and tear,” says the contractor on the other end of the line.
“Yeah, I get it. But why don’t you send me samples without the lines, and in a lighter shade,” he replies. The message is subtle, but clear: Every detail has to be perfect. And to be perfect, it must meet Kourgelis’s exacting standards.
With a force of over 500 employees, and a team of partners that vary from operation to operation, he certainly has the luxury of leaving the details to others. But then the results might be different. And with his track record with Seasons Catering in Washington Township, and The Venetian in Garfield (two facilities in northern New Jersey that, under his ownership and leadership, have redefined luxury catering for the entire metropolitan region), it would be foolhardy for him not to sweat the small stuff.
“With this property, we feel it’s important to respect the integrity of the building, and its history,” Kourgelis explains, indicating that, unlike with his other venues, Shadowbrook at Shrewsbury will host only one wedding at a time.
Originally, he confides, he and his partners considered building an addition with multiple rooms, and even changing the name.
“When we purchased the property, we weren’t fully aware of its history. As we were making our plans [for the initial renovations completed when they first purchased the property], neighbors from the town would come in and bring us memorabilia—newspaper clippings, old photographs, programs… We quickly came to an understanding of the place’s historical significance and, from that point, we were committed to preserving as much of the place’s original beauty as possible.”
Although it would have been far less expensive to demolish the original structure and put up a new building, Kourgelis and his partner, Mark Spinelli, decided that bringing one of New Jersey’s great estates back to its glory was the right thing to do.
That they made the right decision is obvious: The destination’s birthright is evident even from the approach into the property. Large columns punctuate the building’s front façade, while double chimneys emanate regally from the east and west wings. Sprawling grounds—18 acres of the estate’s original 180 remain—are meticulously manicured, and inside, rich mahogany panels line many of the walls within the main building.
“Where we had to create the attraction with The Venetian and Seasons, it was clear to us that Shadowbrook is an attraction in itself,” says Kourgelis, indicating that more than half of the weddings hosted there include ceremonies that take place on the premises, a far greater percentage than at his other venues.
And with the renovations, Shadowbrook will become even more of a destination, with much attention made to tie a luxurious outdoor experience to that which is offered indoors.
Throughout the years, Kourgelis has been a loyal leader, giving opportunity to key players on his team to grow.
“Over $3 million will have been spent on landscaping alone,” says Kourgelis. A covered terrace and a covered pavilion will allow guests to enjoy the estate’s grounds while shielding them from the elements. Fireplaces on the large balcony that overlooks the estate will create an air of comfort, spilling outside from the ballroom and onto the site’s extensive grounds.
As with The Venetian, Kourgelis has commissioned a chandelier by renowned glass sculptor Dale Chihuly to grace the Shadowbrook with a signature piece of art. Chihuly’s renowned blown-glass installations are found in some of the world’s most prestigious hospitality venues, including The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas and the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City.
“When I received the original quote from Dale Chihuly for The Venetian’s chandelier, I thought I could make a deal,” says Kourgelis , laughing at the recollection. “The quote was for $500,000, with another $50,000 to install it. I called him and said, ‘I’ll give you $400,000 with another $40,000 to install it.’ He asked me where I was from and what my background was and then said, ‘Oh, I understand.’ And then he reminded me that I am not purchasing a chandelier but a work of art, and that the price was firm and not a dollar less, and the same for the installation cost.” He chuckles at the memory, as if to say, “I learned my lesson, didn’t I?”
The $30 million investment undertaken at Shadowbrook, then, will not simply add seating capacity; it will create a space where wedding dreams for thousands of brides can be realized, where each couple’s personal history will be enriched by the estate’s opulent past, which is finding a renaissance under Mr. Kourgelis.
And if his places are stunning, his brand is all about the basics: providing the finest service and most amazing food, he insists.
Ask anyone who has been to an event at any of his three places, and you won’t find an argument: No one leaves without waxing poetic about the culinary miracles served at his legendary cocktail hours, or the decadent desserts that are part of his Viennese displays.
“From the minute you drive in until the minute you drive out, every detail is important to us,” he says, adding that his goal is not simply to please the bride and groom, but to give every guest in attendance an evening that they will never forget. And service is always the epitome of professional, with waiters, bartenders, restroom attendants, and valets perfectly trained in the art of customer satisfaction.
It’s not surprising to learn, then, that although the Shadowbrook has been closed for more than a year, there is already a long list of people waiting to book their wedding when the venue reopens. The venue, in fact, is booking weddings for fall of this year.
STARTING OUT
Jimmy Kourgelis grew up in the restaurant business, working for his father, Tom Kourgelis, who immigrated from Chios, Greece, in 1957 and owned and operated the Cedar Lane Grille in Teaneck, with his wife, Carole.
If the restaurant business was in Kourgelis’s blood, his real ambition was to become a pilot. After high school, he attended Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, becoming a pilot and dreaming to one day fly the world’s fastest jets for the U.S. Air Force. But the discovery that he had a visual impairment (he could not accurately perceive depth of field) put an end to that aspiration and, disillusioned, he returned home to New Jersey, uncertain of what his future would hold. “Go back to Florida and take a month-long vacation,” his father advised, “and when you come back, you’ll need to work and figure out what you want to do.”
When he returned, he got to work at the family restaurant, putting in long hours and mastering every position. Logic would dictate that he should put himself in line to take over the business, but it was his mother who advised against it. “I owe it to my mother,” says Kourgelis. “She pushed me to go out on my own, to use the education and experience of working in the family business to create something new.”
After two years of working at the restaurant, he pooled his savings along with his brother-in-law, Carl Carfello, to open Mt. Ivy Café, a failed location that he turned into a trendy bistro in nearby Rockland County, NY. But before he opened, he had run out of money and needed a cash infusion to finish the place.
“My father believed in tough love, and didn’t think it was a good thing for me to rely on him to go into business,” he says. His father had done it on his own, and he was concerned that things that come too easily are too easily lost. It makes sense; there are plenty of stories of successful families falling apart when the next generation comes into the business’s picture.
His mother, however, encouraged him not to give up, and to prove to his father that he could make things happen for myself.
“So, I went down the road to the butcher my father had been doing business with for so many years,” he says. “I explained to him my situation, and he went back into his office and came out with a brown paper bag with $50,000 inside. No lawyers, no paperwork. And he told me that if it wasn’t enough, I could come back for more. He was betting on the jockey, he said, telling me he believed in me.”
With his mother at the host stand, his wife, Caryl, helping out, and his sister’s husband behind the bar, the restaurant opened and was an immediate success, serving as the launch pad for Seasons and the catering empire that Kourgelis would go on to create.
“I was very fortunate to have my wife as support,” he says. “She worked at the restaurant in those early years and did the books. Later, when we started having children, she never complained when I couldn’t make it to an event. Because of her support and her sacrifice, I was able to dedicate myself to growing the businesses. These things aren’t done alone; it takes a supportive partner, and a supportive family, to make it happen. It could never have happened without them.”
Throughout the years, Kourgelis has been a loyal leader, giving opportunity to key players on his team to grow. Carl and his younger brother, George Kourgelis, are partners at Seasons, and longtime chef Marco Claisse (who started with him 31 years ago at Mt Ivy Café), was more recently brought into the ownership circle as an operating partner. At the Venetian, Jimmy and George are partnered with their cousin Mike Kourgelis, and Jimmy’s godson, “Jimmy Jr.” Kourgelis. Christos Gourmos, Jimmy’s longtime partner from The Venetian and several other ventures, is also involved at Shadowbrook. Mark Spinelli, Jimmy’s business partner at Shadowbrook, has been with Jimmy since he was 16 years old.
TEAMED FOR SUCCESS
“Jimmy is a big brother to me and a mentor, all rolled into one,” says Spinelli , as he reflects over the decades that the two have worked together.
“He’s got a giver’s heart—his motivation is to take care of his people,” he says, indicating the success formula that Kourgelis has reiterated throughout our visit—a formula that puts his teammates first.
“Over the years he has promoted many people, helping them to be their best. And he has demonstrated that when you take care of your people, they make you successful.”
Taking care of people, he says, includes benefits and 401(k) packages. Key employees at Shadowbrook, in fact, are being paid though the time the venue has been under construction.
What drives the company is what drives its leader, says Spinelli. And in his mentor’s case, that means creativity, innovation, and the true desire to impress and please every guest who walks through the door.
“He’s not worried if we lose a dollar on a party here or there,” says Spinelli. “It’s about the guest’s satisfaction. And when you have 600+ guests at an event leave happy and wanting to return, that’s a powerful force for success.”
As Spinelli attests, it’s Kourgelis’s passion to please each guest that has changed the expectation for all caterers in the northeast. “He’s forced the competition to improve their quality and to create spaces that are top caliber; they’ve had to follow his lead. Starting with Seasons and then with The Venetian, and now with Shadowbrook, he has set a new tone for the industry.”
