Call ‘em task managers

Steven MacGeachy couldn’t get a reservation at El Bulli. Which is not surprising, really; El Bulli is probably one of the most exclusive restaurants on the planet, a cozy little Spanish bistro just outside of Barcelona with a five-star rating and a six-month waiting list.

The restaurant’s ultra-exclusivity, however, has done little to deter MacGeachy, who has spent 10 days trying to wangle a client a table for two. MacGeachy and his brother Gordon specialize in exactly this sort of challenge, a family trait that recently led to the formation of their “lifestyle management” company, Mint.

“ ‘No,’ ” explains Steven MacGeachy in his soft Scottish lilt, “is simply not in our vocabulary.”

A kind of glorified concierge service, Mint is on call 24 hours a day to attend to clients’ every whim. These have ranged from picking up the family dry cleaning to locating a synchronized swim team to perform at a child’s birthday party. To the tune of $12,000 a year, Mint will find you a baby-sitter, pick grandma up at the airport or fly in a crate of lobster, fresh from the Atlantic.

“We’ll take care of anything you need, just so long as it’s legal,” Steven MacGeachy says with a smile. He is sitting in Mint’s Beverly Hills office, sunlight streaming through a wall of windows, soothing classical music drifting softly from hidden speakers. Several Mint employees are manning the phones behind him, their desks neatly organized and free of clutter. There are fresh muffins on the conference table and the comforting smell of hot coffee is in the air. It is surprisingly peaceful here, a neutral-toned oasis where even the phones ring with a tasteful purr. It’s the kind of place that makes a visitor want to kick back, relax and let someone else take care of things -- which is exactly Mint’s intention.

“I have no idea how they do what they do,” one client says. “I’m just glad they’re doing it.”

The MacGeachy brothers founded Mint last winter, after Gordon MacGeachy returned from a trip abroad. A former real estate agent, Gordon had been traveling with clients who had invited him along for company as well as for his innate skill at both organization and commiseration.

“I’ve always been one of those people,” Gordon says, laughing, “who takes care of other people. And when I got back, I thought, ‘Why not start doing that for a living?’ ” Gordon enlisted the help of Steven, who has a background in business analysis and an enormous database of international contacts. After hiring an experienced celebrity assistant and the former head concierge for the Four Seasons, Mint was open for business.

“The response since this winter has been remarkable,” Gordon MacGeachy, says happily. “Makes me wonder why I didn’t think of this before.”

In a way, Mint owes its existence to a fast-paced society in which even the most well-heeled and capable occasionally feel helpless. On a recent morning, requests at Mint ranged from locating an SAT tutor to picking up several bottles of nail polish -- for someone’s dog.

“Our clients are people who just have too much to do,” explains Gordon MacGeachy, “as well as people who, to be perfectly frank, might need a bit of hand-holding.” As Gordon says this, the phone on his brother’s desk begins to ring. After a few murmured words of gratitude, Steven MacGeachy hangs up the receiver and looks over with a broad grin.

“Guess who just got a reservation at El Bulli,” he says.

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Mint

What: Catch-all, do-all concierge service in Beverly Hills run by brothers Gordon and Steven MacGeachy.

Cost: $12,000 a year

Info: (310) 273-3225