When was your small business founded?
Three years ago.
How did you become a small business owner?
I worked for other people and I think I needed to do this on my own. I gained the knowledge and decided that I just had to take the plunge. I’m a partner with a burger restaurant, (started three and a half years ago) Grub Burger Bar. I used to be in a joint venture partnership with Outback Steakhouse and operated 19 restaurants in Texas. My partner (Jimmy Loup)and I left and started our own business. We elected to do the burger business, which is the biggest seller in the restaurant industry. Five months in, Napa Flats started.
How many employees do you have?
93 employees in College Station.
Why did you become an NFIB member?
I’ve had lots of experience with associations, including the Texas Restaurant Association. I was the past president of the Texas Restaurant Association. I understand the political world. There’s a saying in the industry, ‘If you’re not on the table, you’re on the menu.’
In what ways has NFIB helped your small business?
I think the restaurant association does good work for restaurants but I also think NFIB is a really great advocate for small businesses on taxation issues, legislative issues and regulatory issues. For example, it’s helped me navigate the world of the Affordable Care Act. There’s no way I could have done it alone.
There’s so many elements in operating a business. I don’t know how I could do it all alone. The connectedness of people in the association; they know what it’s like running a business.
NFIB monitors what’s coming up. The legislative session in Texas meets every two years. All the laws coming out of committee … if they didn’t alert us, some of us wouldn’t know.
What the association does is it brings another perspective to the pros and cons of a legislation.
What’s the biggest challenge that faces Texas small business owners like you?
I worry about franchise tax, how taxes can change. Taxes affect all businesses differently. Nothing ever fits nice and neatly in one box. We have to have some fairness. A lot of us go paycheck to paycheck, project to project. We depend on week-to-week sales. There are fixed costs every month. Bad weather in one weekend can have a major impact on that month’s profit. You plan for the best and hope that sometimes you get it.
How are you tackling that challenge in your own business?
It’s all about cash management. Be very careful about your expenses. We have to get disciplined and really understand the costs. There’s always the unforeseen. We’re really problem solvers, first and foremost.
What advice would you give new NFIB members to make the most of their membership?
Read the stuff that comes in—the emails. Go to meetings. It’s sort of a challenge for those who aren’t really outgoing, but we’re all in it together. Everyone brings a perspective. There’s plenty of people who’ll help you out, but you just have to ask for it.
What could help your industry grow?
A good economy. Eating out is part of our culture. If times are good, more people tend to eat out. So a strong economy would help my industry.
If Texas lawmakers could grant you one legislative wish for your business, what would it be?
Address property taxes. Obviously, the state needs revenue streams to operate. But we need to figure out a balanced way to get revenue. If we’re relying too much on property taxes, it’s disproportionately impactful to businesses. Also, we need a good regulatory department, I get that part. But sometimes the regulations are not reasonable.
