THIS MEMBER OF THE MONTH REDEFINES GOING GREEN
In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day this Thursday we would like to honor a good ole lad and NFIB Member Cory Neal and his small business Pat O’Brien’s Bar and Restaurant located in San Antonio, Texas on the famous Riverwalk.
In 2003, Cory Neal brought Pat O’Brien’s to San Antonio. His bar and restaurant are a franchise of the historic location in New Orleans. Neal felt he had a great location to spread the “Have Fun” motto in his hometown city of San Antonio. Neal says he and his staff have established a great reputation in San Antonio by providing a great product which includes the famous Hurricane served by smiling staff, awesome entertainment including live music on the patio, a dueling piano lounge and a DJ upstairs. There is truly something for everyone. Pat O’Brien’s is known for serving great food as well as throwing amazing private events in their many event spaces where they can accommodate 50 to 2,000 people ranging from weddings to corporate events.
Not only does Neal enjoy being a small business owner because he truly likes working closely with his great staff, but feels he has been blessed with a talented group of coworkers. Over the years it has been fun watching his employees grow and achieve their own personal and professional goals.
Small Business does not always have the luck of the Irish. They have to work hard to earn their pot of gold. Neal is a great example of a hardworking small business owner. “Owning a small business does not come without many challenges, which is why I joined NFIB in 2009,” said Neal. He felt it was important to team up with other small businesses so their concerns and difficulties could be heard and addressed together with a louder voice. He knew it would be hard to be heard without NFIB. Neal says that running his business daily comes with difficulties especially in the beginning and knowing that you have someone advocating for your interests is so important.
Neal mentioned that people sometimes hear the name Pat O’Brien’s and think that he runs a big company, but in reality his business is the exact definition of a small mom and pop entity. He personally does all the hiring, payroll, bookkeeping, as well as oversees the overall operations by himself. He knows many other small business owners do the same and struggle as he does to juggle all the hard and time consuming responsibilities which makes NFIB’s role in protecting small business from harmful legislation so important.
Neal says he knows that with NFIB in his corner, he can concentrate on making his employees happy so they can concentrate on making his guests happy which he believes is the foundation for a successful business.
We recently had an event at Pat O’Brien’s in San Antonio and had such a great time. It’s always lively, always entertaining, and everyone loves sharing moments and memories made here.
NFIB is happy to be in your corner, Neal, and happy to be your “four leaf clover.” Thanks for your membership and thanks for spreading merriment and fun every day at your business and especially this St. Patty’s Day!
