1. What was your major in school? Masters degree? What school?
Biology. No masters. University of Texas- Austin
2. How did you decide that you wanted to start your own restaurant? Getting certified?
I worked in the business for others and I felt that I could build a successful business on my own. I wanted to have the responsibility and authority that goes with that.
The restaurant business has always been an easy entry (and easy exit) business. A person can get started on a small capital investment and build a business if they are willing to work hard and can survive the ups and downs. At the time we started there was little in the way of certification and not all that much even now. The “certification” really is the ability to survive until you can grow the business enough to be successful.
3. What inspired you to open your own business?
I always wanted to be my own boss. As far back as I can remember I always had that entrepreneurial urge, whether it was having a lawn care business or a paper route, etc.
4. What are some of the pros and cons of owning your own business?
Pros- Responsibility, authority, satisfaction of a job well done, challenge of overcoming adversity, pride in accomplishment
Cons- Frustration with staff, government intrusion, the grind of a 7 day a week business
5. What are some tips for success that you would give someone looking to start their own business/restaurant?
Learn as much as you can about real business- not as described in books
Learn every aspect of the business that you are interested in
Find successful people in that business and pick their brains. Most business people readily offer advice and knowledge.
Be ready to eat, breathe and sleep your business
Work hard, work smart
Don’t ever lose your dream
6. How big of a part did location play in starting your business?
Location in any retail business is huge, but there has to be a balance between prime location and cost. Few locations have everything you want in terms of traffic and exposure at all times of the day. You can overcome some deficiencies by building a reputation and with effective marketing. But once you commit to a certain occupancy cost, it is difficult if not impossible to change. That is a very common cause of failure in retail of all kinds. Our situation was and still is a compromise between what we would like and what the business can support.
7. How did you begin to get clients for your business? And keep them?
I think the most important thing is to value every customer- I mean really value them. Offer a great product at a fair price and do that consistently and you build a reputation. There is no marketing that is more effective than word of mouth. The challenge is to build a staff that feels the same way you do about customers. And then you get back to consistency.
8. How do you keep employees motivated? Leadership roles.
All people have needs, and then they also have desires. At the most basic level, you satisfy that need of the ability to feed, house, and clothe themselves and their family. Then you grow into go to the next levels of satisfying desires. That may be a car, better housing, and up from there. You show people how they can accomplish those things, make them a part of a team, and show confidence in them. We work right alongside of them so they see a constant example of what is expected. We consistently show gratitude and appreciation for a job well done. And we do not accept less than their best, which quality people appreciate. When people accept “ownership” it shows in their work.
Generally, leadership asserts itself as a result of pride, hard work and tenacity.
9. What are some of the most important parts of your business that have helped you succeed?
First by far is a staff that cares as much about success as we do.
Second is proper capital investment structure that has allowed us to survive the inevitable downturns in business. Certain aspects of “overhead”, once committed to, cannot be changed and if not structured properly can make viability impossible when times get tough.
10. What are some of the important financial issues that come with starting a business?
In the restaurant business, initial capital commitments have to make sense or they can never be overcome. After that it becomes sales building and management of cost of goods and labor costs.
Any start-up should have adequate reserves to operate and aggressively market for the first year at least.
11. Any other information on running a business: tips, locations, family, clients, financial
You have to have a passion for what you want to do. You also have to have the discipline to say no until the deal is right.
