Rich Table has earned its reputation through fourteen years of meticulous execution. The food is exceptional, but the real differentiator is harder to capture on camera: a culture where everyone from the chef-owners to the newest server operates with the same standard of care for the guest.
OpenTable needed a piece that would resonate with restaurant partners. Operators who understand how difficult it is to maintain quality across multiple locations. The typical "look at this beautiful restaurant" approach wouldn't cut it. We needed to show how Rich Table's values move from one kitchen to another.
The constraint: three shoot days across two locations, capturing the rhythm of service at Rich Table while documenting Bistro's opening night. No reshoots. No second chances at the moments that matter.
We built the story around a three-act structure that mirrors how the Rich Table team actually works.
Act 1 establishes the standard at the original Rich Table location. Kitchen prep, pre-service briefings, the moment when Dana pulls up guest notes in OpenTable and the team aligns around who's celebrating what that night. Every detail exists in service of the guest experience.
Act 2 follows Sarah, Bill (RT Bistro Chef de Cuisine), and Dexter (Rich Table Chef de Cuisine) to the Marin farmers market. Sarah's personality shines here. The sourcing relationships, the conversations with vendors, the way each restaurant reflects where she and Evan are in their lives. This act answers the question of why they keep opening restaurants.
Act 3 is the test. Plating sessions at Bistro, prep that mirrors Act 1, and then opening night. The same values, a new space. The audience sees whether the guest-first philosophy holds.
Two deliverables will come from this material: a six-minute hero piece for OpenTable's partner marketing and a ten-to-twelve minute director's cut for festival consideration. We're building the longer version first and carving the hero from it.
In production. Delivery expected February 2026.
This project extends well beyond the hero film. OpenTable is using our interview transcripts to develop a whitepaper for their restaurant partners, turning Rich Table's operational philosophy into actionable guidance for operators scaling their own concepts.
From the footage and stills, we're building:
For brands exploring documentary-style storytelling, this project demonstrates what a full story system looks like: one shoot, multiple formats, material that continues working months after delivery.
Production Company: Graphite Productions
Producer, Director, Editor: Colt Bradley
Director of Photography: Rob Gourley, Tommy Beal
Sound: Myriam Boisselle
Production Coordinators: Ally Williams, Pri Suryaneni
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