A private country club atmosphere with a casually intimate feel. How Moorpark Country Club successfully serves its members and the public alike with its international approach to cuisine.
What do menu concepts like bibimbap, tri tip sandwiches, coconut crusted ahi tuna salad, caprese paninis, and sirloin burgers have in common? They’re flavors from around the world and all available at Moorpark Country Club’s Champions Restaurant.
A true melting pot of global flavors, this diverse approach to menu offerings isn’t for everyone but most definitely works for Moorpark. “If you think about it, golf is truly an international sport,” said Natasha Lopez, Moorpark’s food and beverage manager. “This being said, we want to pull flavors from across the world into our menu concepts, and this is something that Chef Gabriel Navarro nails. We serve guests from all over, so why not have our menu reflect that diversity, too?”
Although lunch is served every day, Moorpark only offers dinner Fridays and Saturdays – something that the club uses to its benefit by offering live jazz music to entice the weekend crowd to relax while soaking in the panoramic views of the course. “Being a semi-private club, about 50 percent of our clientele are non-golfers, so we are constantly working together as a team to come up with creative ways to draw those customers in,” said Natasha. “We’ve found great success in advertising in local publications, as well as sending direct mail pieces to our local neighbors.”
As much as it is important to keep your customers satisfied, it’s also important to keep your employees happy – something that Chef Gabriel takes to heart. “Chef is very unique in that he encourages culinary creativity amongst his team members,” said Natasha. “One of his favorite things to do is run a weekend special on our menu created by a member of our staff. Not only do our patrons find this fun, but the trust and comradery this concept builds is priceless.”
Chef Gabriel is also fond of taking advantage of the varying flavor profiles each season brings about. “To keep up with seasonal trends, we rotate in and out a couple different menu items at a time,” said Natasha.
“To assist us with this process, Gabriel leans on our Jordano’s Account Executive, Jeff Patch, for unique ideas. Jeff has been a part of the Moorpark family for a long time. He consistently goes above and beyond for us, ensuring we have everything we need to run a successful business. Jeff is constantly keeping us abreast of new industry trends and recipe ideas. He truly makes us feel like we’re his number one priority at all times.”
Apart from Moorpark’s restaurant, they also cater to largescale events including weddings. “Events are a big part of our business. From charity golf tournaments with 300 plus participants to weddings and other special events, we’ve found it’s to our benefit to keep our menu options flexible. Although our larger events require a set menu, we work closely with each client to customize the menu to their needs.”
“One thing’s for sure,” said Natasha. “Jordano’s delivers. From serving ware and seafood, to fresh produce and seasonal spices, Jeff and the entire Jordano’s team is extremely dependable, punctual, informative, and we’re very happy to call them our foodservice supplier.”
For more information about Moorpark Country Club, visit moorparkgolf.com or find them on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
Article by Kiersta Halseth Tibbetts, Assistant Director of Marketing, Jordano’s Foodservice
