The transcript for "Scarcity Marketing" with Chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry in Yountville, California and Per Se in New York City as seen on Small Business School, the series on PBS member stations.

The transcript for this episode

last update: May 2005

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Scarcity Marketing

This heart of palm was picked in Hawaii just a few hours before it arrived at The French Laundry.

Buy From The Best

People ask, `Do you buy your products local?' Well, local has been redefined in the jet age. I mean, local to me is anything I can get here by jet...

HATTIE: In a few hours.

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Transcript Segments


1.		Make A Small Amount

2.		Learn From Mistakes

3.		Be True To Yourself

4.		Keep Dreaming

5.		Put All Of Your Skin In The Game

6.		Stay Charming

7.		Take Dozens of Investors

8.		Win Awards

9.		Do What You Want To Do

10.		Hire A Maitre D'

11.		Hire People You Like

12.		Buy From The Best

THOMAS: ... in a few hours. Yeah. I mean, our scallops come from Maine. Our scallops come from Maine three times a week. We get lobsters from Maine every day. I mean, they are local to me because they're coming in my back door every day, fresh, live, vibrant.: The hearts of palm from Hawaii that we just started getting, for example. This was harvested on Tuesday and they were packed up yesterday, they were packed up Tuesday and shipped.

HATTIE: And what you're saying is, your experience with hearts of palm has always been in a can.

THOMAS: Exactly. And it's funny, because hearts of palm is for me has always been French . . . oh, now feel that. It's like satin.

HATTIE: Like satin!

THOMAS: Isn't that amazing?

HATTIE:It's amazing!

THOMAS: I would draw the line at calling myself a chef if I'm not in my kitchen everyday. It's the only job that I know; it's the only job I can imagine that would bring as much satisfaction. I've been cooking now since 1973. So 25 years, and never really made any money at it. . . never really my purpose for doing it. I was always comfortable with it. And I knew, I always knew that it would take care of me, you know? If for nothing else, I'd be able to eat every day.

Some people think I'm bullheaded or stubborn. It's not that. It's believing -- it's really having that deep belief in what I was going to do, and how I was going to do it, and visualizing every morning when I get up that this is going to be my restaurant and this is how it's going to be. And that's what.made it successful, that drive, that wanting. I wanted it so bad that I made it happen.

HATTIE: It's incredible. What do you think? It's up to par? Serve it to the king, if we had one?

THOMAS: Yeah, it's good.

HATTIE (In the Studio) : Thomas Keller didn't have any money of his own. He convinced 48 investors to back his idea. To help you find money for your idea, click on "money." Remember, you can make exactly what you want to make. You just have to find enough people who want to buy exactly what it is you're making. We'll see you next time.

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