Lexington, KY - When she travels, Laura Mize always makes a point of looking for walking tours of the places she visits. "The most recent walking food tour that I took was in Los Angeles (Melting Pot Tours). That was this past January, and it hit me like a ton of bricks that this would go over well in Lexington," she explained in an email conversation during the 4th of July weekend about her entry into downtown Lexington's reviving business scene.
In August, in time to capture visitors in town for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Mize will launch Bleu Plate Tours (http://www.bleuplatetours.com), a guided walking food tasting tour to be offered as a seasonal attraction April through October on Saturdays at 10 a.m.
Plans call for a 1.3 mile, 3-hour stroll through Gratz Park, The Cheapside District and other points of interest with stops at seven participating downtown restaurants and food-related establishments. At each stop tour guests will sample the foods that make the eateries popular, cuisine that represents the region and local brands. A $43 fee is charged and it is recommended that reservations be made in advance.
"I have the most wonderful partners on board for this tour, each of whom have worked diligently with me to develop a 'plan of action' as the tours come to their establishments," Mize noted. Participating eateries include Alfalfa, Jonathan at Gratz Park Inn, Cheapside Bar and Grill, Sam's Hotdog Stand, deSha's, Lexington Pasta and Bellini's.
Mize, Regional Marketing Coordinator for H.W. Lochner, the engineering firm that designed the Paris Pike makeover, said she loves her work with the firm and has no plans to leave her position. She will make time for both. "I needed a personal challenge. Bleu Plate Tours, for me, is an opportunity for me to bring something new to Lexington, the opportunity to work in something about which I feel passionate (I'm a self-professed foodie) and a creative outlet. I am also a musician and have a bit of 'entertainer' in me - the tour guide role is a definite entertainer's role. While this fulfills my desire for a new personal challenge, I'm fulfilling it with something that encompasses things I love," she said.
Mize also has served as Special Projects Coordinator for Host Communcations and advertising manager for Concord Custom Cleaners, a role she continues to serve in an outsource capacity.
How it works
"While the partners are paid a fee to help cover the cost of the food they provide for the tour, minimal utilization and inconvenience to the staff is critical," Mize explained. "In some cases, I will be assisting with serving which is typical for food tours. Each stop knows an approximate arrival time for us. They have the food prepared and located at a specified location. We have predetermined where the tour participants will be seated so I can lead them there and not interrupt staff. I then serve the food. That, however, is not the case at all of the locations. Two of the locations are providing dedicated servers and at another I am assisting the chef in serving the dishes."
At some stops, restaurant staff, owners or chefs will address the tour. "Every stop is different and the plan is custom designed through flexible collaboration with the restaurant. But the key is making it as easy on the partners as possible," she said.
After returning from Los Angeles to a burgeoning downtown Lexington food and entertainment scene, Mize began researching and discovered that the urban food tour is something of a national trend. "There are lots of different concepts," she said, offering links (below) to similar tours from Boston and Chicago to Scottsdale and Seattle. "I have spoken with a number of the owners of these tour companies and have learned a lot of interesting things. It has also been interesting how the tour operators consider themselves as marketers for each other. The idea is that, once someone takes a food tour in a city and experiences the concept and has a great time, they will seek out food tours in every city to which they travel."
In talking with others in the business Mize discovered an interesting dynamic of that collaboration: it ensures quality. "The tour operators feel a bond and a responsibility to one another regarding the quality of the tours, etc. because we each know that the others are sending business our way, and visa versa."
As a veteran of the walking tour wherever she goes, Mize said she has found the experiences not only enjoyable, but the best way to get to know a city. "To me, that's the best tour to take because you not only get a guided tour of a part of the city and a bit of historic and/or architectural discussion of the area, but you get to sample the food of the area."
Mize has expansion ideas but is holding them in check as she tests the market with the downtown tour. "My plan is to offer the Downtown Lexington tour this year, through October. If the Saturday tours start selling out, then I will go to the partners and try to arrange additional times/dates for that same tour route - like maybe a Saturday afternoon, or a Friday or a Sunday tour. It is my hope that, during the off season, I will coordinate additional tours."
If she likes what she sees once the books are balanced, what could be next? "Chevy Chase is probably number one on my radar for another ongoing tour. Also during the off season, it is my hope to offer special occasion tours for holidays such as Valentines Day, or to maybe develop a monthly 'girls night out' tour which might be a tapas tour downtown. But increasing the number of the Downtown Lexington tours followed by developing and implementing the Chevy Chase tour are first priorities."
To arrange for a Bleu Plate Tour:
Advanced tickets are required. Private tours and additional tour dates are available upon request. For more information and tickets, see http://www.bleuplatetours.com or call ticketing agent, Zerve, at 800-979-3370.
To contact Laura Mize:
859-893-1011
laura@bleuplatetours.com
Food tours in other cities:
http://www.foodtoursofboston.com/
http://www.meltingpotfoodtours.com
http://www.savorseattle.com
http://www.tastecarolina.net
http://www.chicagofoodplanet.com
http://www.arizonafoodtours.com/
http://www.texastoastculinarytours.com/