When you think of Redondo Beach, Calif., steak houses and a dress code aren’t the first two things that come to mind. But Lavae McClinnahan, a New Jersey native whose expansive work in the luxury lifestyle space working with Ralph Lauren, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, Sony, Honda and more, is about to change that.
After relocating to Los Angeles in the early 2000s, his love of fine dining and high-end cuisine grew. He curated one of the most popular wine pairings and five-course menus — with The Macallann Scotch — that remains popular. He’s now preparing to open Montauk, Redondo Beach’s first fine-dining establishment, this spring. McClinnahan is set on bringing an East Hampton-style aesthetic to the West Coast with a menu featuring seafood.
The job was no easy undertaking. Even having a dress code shocked some of the local restaurant owners.
“There was some pushback from people who thought the community would be excluded because this is a beach town with bar and grills and dive bars, not necessarily what’s considered mainstream fine dining; though every restaurant offers good food, we’re looking to elevate it a bit for a different demo and have people here try something else,” McClinnahan told Blavity. “Here, it’s mainly casual dining. There’s a huge audience of people that do like what we’re doing on both sides. There are executives, real estate professionals, lawyers, politicians, and vacationers looking for something like what we’re offering. So the market was open.”
Redondo Beach also doesn’t have a huge population of Black residents. When asked why he chose the area to build his restaurant, McClinnahan said it was simple. The location was affordable, and he’s doing it by himself.
“By the time this place opens, I’ll probably have put $1 million into it. And I have no investors. So that’s huge for an African American to be in Redondo Beach and not have any investors.”
He was also committed to filling a void in the area in terms of dining available.
“We’re just putting this place here to help bring another level of cuisine and service to Redondo.”
Montauk isn’t McClinnahan’s first venture into the restaurant business. He previously owned a sports bar, but desiring a more elevated scene, he backed out of the restaurant with his previous partner.
Montauk’s menu, he said, is considered an affordable luxury and what he defined as “seafood with a flair” with a matching vibe. McClinnahan shared all staff are required to wear Ralph Lauren attire in unison, inspired by his time working for the beloved brand. It’s all about sophistication.
Regarding his staff, he’s focused on quality talent, which includes ensuring diverse hiring.
“We’re looking at diversity not just in terms of Black and white, but also with men and women,” he expressed. “My concept, I felt a female general manager was better. I didn’t want too much testosterone in the room because if you’re going to have a lot of men working here, especially in the kitchen, I felt like I wanted a female GM to balance that out and be able to bring a feminine and gentle touch working with the staff.”
Being the first carries a significant weight. But McClinnahan hopes Montauk is just the beginning in the area.
“I think it’s going to open the door for more minorities to come into this territory,” he said. “And I want to remind everyone here that we’re not trying to come here and change the area; we’re just providing the offering.”
As the owner of Peninsula Hospitality Concepts, McClinnahan plans to spread more of this dining style nationwide. He’ll next open The Fitzgerald, an old-school supper club concept in Charlotte, N.C.
