Watershed Partners with Some of the Nation's Best Restaurants and Chefs
Watershed works with the world's top chefs and restaurant owners, helping them conceive and promote the next must-have dining experience.
Watershed Founder Lisa Donoughe's first chef client was Charlie Palmer. One of America's most influential chefs, and a chef who chooses not to grow his career via Food Network. And, as a result younger editors and writers didn't know who he was. Lisa came up with one-on-one cooking classes and invited writers to attend, building personal relationships. These new writer relationships yielded national media hits in Sunset Magazine, and other creative solutions resulted in feature stories in Brides, Esquire and Gourmet.
Portland restaurant Ten 01 launched to negative reviews and low foot traffic. With a chef change in the first six months, the restaurant's owner looked to Watershed to help turn things around. Watershed did a strategic analysis and re-positioned the restaurant as a learning center with experts. Watershed improved Ten 01's website, held PR classes with the Ten 01 team, convinced the media to try the restaurant and helped start creative new social media programs to entice customers. Ten 01 received local, regional and national attention from media such as The New York Times and Gourmet. It was voted Restaurant of the Year by PortlandFoodandDrink.com and has had its expert staff spotlighted by several local and national publications.
Cathy Whims, owner of Portland-based Nostrana Restaurant, was known primarily for her work as owner and chef of Genoa, a Portland institution. After the break-up with Nostrana restaurant partners, Cathy was ready for some good news. Watershed set up editorial opportunities with New York writers, positioned her as an authority in food, helped put together events for Nostrana and wrote a carefully crafted news release announcing the departure of her partners. Nostrana was named Restaurant of the Year by the Oregonian, and Cathy has gained national recognition as a top regional Italian cuisine expert. Nostrana has appeared in GQ, Bon Appetit, Sunset, National Geographic Traveler, the New York Times, Horizon Air and Travel + Leisure. In 2009 Cathy was nominated for her first James Beard Award -- "Best Chef in the Northwest."
"I don't know how many famous food writers I've met through Watershed, including Melissa Clark. I read her column every day in The New York Times, and yet she came into my restaurant with Lisa and I had no idea who she was. I never put the two together. I think the connections that Lisa and her staff have in the food world, which is my realm, are just unquestionably, amazingly extensive."
Nostrana Restaurant, Executive Chef & Owner, Cathy Whims
