By Lucas Franco de Siqueira, NDG Special Contributor
This week the new restaurant of Chef Stephen Pyles, Flora Street Cafe, was the setting for the exclusive The Lincoln Motor company launch of the new 2017 Lincoln MKZ in Dallas. The event focused on offering a specialized personal experience to each guest, which resembles the approach that Lincoln takes with their vehicles.
Robert Jeremy Rosenbach, Lincoln’s Consumer Marketing Manager, was asked why did The Lincoln Motor Company choose Dallas as one of their destinations for this project. He shared, “Dallas has its own distinctive luxury customer and has a long history of having luxury experiences, so we felt that it was really important to showcase this car here.”
The chosen restaurant located in the heart of the Dallas Art District extended the feeling of a customized experimentation. The event featured Solomon Song, the Designer of the 2017 Lincoln MKZ, Tom Ozog, MKZ Chief Engineer, and Chef Peter Barlow from Flora Street Cafe.
Around 16 guests attended the exclusive event including entertainment bloggers, magazine and newspaper writers, musicians, executives, and photographers. Guests enjoyed a warm personal experience. Attention to details and top quality customer service set the tone for the introduction of the concept of Quiet Luxury and launch of the 2017 Lincoln MKZ.
The event began with Robert Rosenbach sharing the definition of the Quiet Luxury concept to guests divided into two tables in a selected area of the restaurant.
“It is not just about the quality of the product, but it is about the experience that you have when you interact with the brand,” Rosenbach said.
Design Manager Solomon Song and MKZ Chief Engineer Tom Ozog followed Rosenbach.
Song explained that MKZ customers asked for luxurious relaxation. Therefore, the technology and design used in the new 2017 Lincoln MKZ were developed to enhance calming effects for the client in every commute.
When Song was asked about his inspiration for such a design, he said, “I did a lot of nature walks because you cannot beat nature for inspiration in terms of human interface.” Song defined the 2017 Lincoln MKZ design as, “It is a breath of fresh air.”
After the speeches and the meal, guests walked outside and entered a 2017 Lincoln MKZ with Ozog. The Chief Engineer gave insights about the exterior and interior equipment, audio system, and the reasoning behind the choice of top quality technological systems.
One of the most exciting moments of the event was driving one of the MKZs from the Dallas Art District to the Ronald Kirk Bridge, where a 2017 Lincoln MKZ was set up for photos with the Dallas skyline on the back. The experience of driving the car is unique. It felt like I was in the first row of a concert when listening to music, and when the radio was off I could have an entire conversation without being interrupted by any outside noises.
I drove a 2017 3.0L Reserve, Ruby Red Tinted Metallic, Interior – Ebony/Touring White Leather Lincoln MKZ model. The car with 400 horsepower and seats that embrace you made me forget that I was driving a midsize sedan at times. It provided the feeling of driving a classy sports car but without the loud engine.
After coming back from the driving experience, guests received a behind the scenes tour of the kitchen and food prep demo by Chef Peter Barlow. The Chef opened his kitchen to small groups as he guided each person through the process of cooking one of the most famous recipes of Chef Stephan Pyles, the blue corn muffins.
When asked about the choice of restaurant for the event, Rosenbach said, “This restaurant is not just about the quality of food, but it offers an experience. It is very artistic, the interactions are very personal and warm, and that is exactly what we are trying to provide with our products.”
The Lincoln Motor Company showed that they do not want to simply compete in the luxury midsize sedan segment, but they want to dominate it.
