British-born and New York-based, Margot Hauer-King is the middle child of American theater producer Debra Hauer and London’s best-dressed restaurateur, Jeremy King. Hauer-King was raised in restaurants – her father having shaped London’s dining scene with his business partner Chris Corbin, from The Wolseley to Le Caprice to J. Sheekey, still reframing with his solo openings, The Park and Simpson’s. And now, after a chance introduction to journalist and film producer Emmet McDermott – of the headline-making documentary White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch – Hauer-King and McDermott are reshaping Big City nightlife. Opened just over a year ago in Greenwich Village, People’s is best described by what it is not. In Hauer-King’s words, “It’s not a nightclub. It’s not a bar. It’s not a restaurant. It’s something else.” Operating through referrals and word-of-mouth connections, instead of monthly fees, “the cheeky answer is we’re a non-membership members’ club,” she says.
‘I think that idea of hosting in a home setting has always been a huge influence on me’
All of those nots have taken shape from a life spent reading, watching, listening, and carousing. Together Hauer-King and McDermott have pulled together everything they both love about hospitality – “the clang and the clatter; the noise and the conviviality” – into one sumptuous destination where guests know each other and happily dance on tables. For Hauer-King, there are times, places, and restaurants that will always be in her brain. These are a few of her inspirations.
Experience
“In New York, for me, Raf’s is a really big one. I love what they’ve done at King. Or Pierluigi in Rome. But what’s interesting about all these restaurants is there’s such an intense emotional moment attached to them. Who did I share it with? What was that moment? And I think that’s a really good reminder because so many restaurants can have phenomenal food and a beautiful room, and the martinis are really cold, and the service is really good. But at the end of the day, and don’t get me wrong, I adore theater, but hospitality isn’t going to a play. It’s participatory.”
Hosting
“I grew up with two parents who loved to host Sunday lunches. When you host really well, you combine an expression of who you are with an empathy for your guests. It’s the ability to set the lights to the right level, choose the right playlist, cook the right meal, choose the right wine that is both true to you and going to make them happy. And so I think that idea of hosting in a home setting has always been a huge influence on me. And how can we bring that into a commercial space.”
Longevity
“There’s this old hotel in Lech in Austria called Hotel Kristberg. We’d go each year and the same people would be there. And you sort of grow up with these people. And so that idea of how do you really build an environment that retains is really important.”
Appeal
“‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ by Spanish duo Baccara is an amazing song. It’s fun. And it makes you want to move. I think the most important thing about that song is whether you discover it when you’re 16, you’re listening to it in your mid 30s, or in your 60s or 70s, it’s still good.”
Magic
“McDermott recalls this beautiful night he had at the Wolseley. And it totally clicked. And I came back to New York just wanting to bring some of that magic back.”
Comments