"My Personality is on Every Plate"

By then, Alex’s cooking had attracted a substantial following —enough to encourage him and Monika to strike out on their own when a coffee shop location on the west side of U.S. 41 became available. They converted it into a fine-dining establishment and opened Alexander’s on Oct. 20, 1994. From the beginning, they have made an effective business team. While Alex runs the kitchen and overall operations, Monika helps supply what she calls "the woman’s touch." She spends at least an hour a day at the restaurant—greeting customers, fine-tuning the ambience—in addition to teaching aerobics in Pelican Bay.

At the end of their fifth year, Alex and Monika paid off an outside investor and have been profitable ever since. Shrewdly, Alex has positioned himself well for the long haul. He has 13 more years left on his lease, and in the final term he will only be paying $32 for each of his 1,600 indoor square feet. Many restaurants in Naples, Alex says, pay much more than that right now.

Despite all of Alex’s training, experience, culinary skills and business acumen—and his proven ability to co-exist with the chains—there are many reasons why Alexander’s shouldn’t be the success it is. Consider these disadvantages: 1) The restaurant is hidden from street view and does virtually no tourism business; 2) It’s never had a liquor license; 3) Alex does 98 percent of all the cooking—a perfect recipe for burnout; and 4) the restaurant is closed a third of the year. Yet Alex has taken all these negatives and turned them into positives. Here’s how:

1) "I know I’m hard to find," Alex says. "I still have new customers who say, ‘I’ve been in Naples 15 years, and I didn’t know you were here.’ " Nevertheless, Alex’s dinner reservations between 6 and 8 p.m. will fill up a week in advance during season. His secret: Target nearby seasonal residents and keep bringing them back. "Maybe 10 percent of my customers come here four or five times a week, counting lunch and dinner," says Alex. "There are times when Monika will walk in and know everyone in the dining room."

2) Under state law, Alex’s place isn’t large enough for a liquor license; he can only sell beer and wine. "It keeps me from getting a younger crowd," says Alex, whose typical customer is over 50. "And there’s an older crowd that likes to have a martini and a steak, and I don’t get them either." But what he does get is a customer who appreciates good wine and value. "He’s a master at picking house wines," says one regular. At last count, Alex also offered 77 different wines by the bottle, topping out at $165. "Independents are the lifeblood of restaurants," says Alex’s wine agent, Lou Bernardi. "They keep the wine business going because of the variety they offer."

3) Despite the unrelenting pressure of turning out more than 100 meals a day, six days a week, eight months a year, Alex’s love for what he does helps pull him through. It also doesn’t hurt that he saves himself between $50,000 and $75,000 by not having to hire a chef. And who’s going to control costs better than a chef who’s also the owner? As I watched Alex artfully flute 70 mushroom caps during preparation for the anniversary dinner, I asked him what was going to happen to the shavings and the stems. "That’s mushroom soup for lunch on Monday," he said, grinning. "Watch the nickels and dimes, and the dollars take care of themselves."

4) How can Alex stay in business by closing all summer? Easy. "I don’t care what business you’re in down here," he says. "You make your money from January 15 to May 15. After that, business can drop off two-thirds or more. The season is such a grind that, for me, it’s good to lock the door, take a deep breath, enjoy ourselves, and then we’re ready to go again." Or, in the case of last summer, also put the finishing touches on a cookbook featuring 110 of Alex’s recipes, which is available in the restaurant or through www.amazon.com.

Despite the hectic pace of producing and serving five gourmet courses with military precision, the evening of the anniversary goes smoothly. It is as much a tribute to Alex’s calm and cool management style as it is to all his other skills. While he is strictly "old school" when it comes to adhering to classic cooking methods, he recognizes that the days of the chef yelling and screaming in the kitchen are long gone. That is, they are if you want to keep your help—and Alex does keep his help. Wislaine Desvartes and Theresa Simons have been with him in the kitchen since he started. But just to make sure his staff never forgets its mission, he also has a handwritten sign on the wall in the kitchen. It reads: "Food Critic Is Here." And that sign never comes down.

Finally, the last dessert has been served, the last glass of wine poured, and it is time for Alex and his assistant chefs to take their bows. They place the classic foot-high chefs’ toques on their heads and make their grand entrance amidst a standing ovation. As Alex stands there and nervously begins his thank-you speech, one can’t help but notice the embroidered lettering on his tunic. In two lines, it says:
Alexander Bernard
Chef/Owner

Whether by accident or design, the word "chef" is the one placed closest to Alex’s heart.