How Can Restaurants Scale to Meet New Demand?

From new technologies and changing food trends to supply chains and innovative concepts, the restaurant industry is everchanging. Host Andre Natera shares kitchens, plates and stories with food and beverage superstars, preparing a new dish and offering valuable insights from the front lines of the culinary industry.

 

On this episode of Run the Pass, host and Executive Chef Andre Natera brought in Chef Omar Flores to talk about the Texas food scene, his impressive career, how to scale restaurants, and the changes that will stick after COVID-19.

Flores grew up in El Paso, and his family always had restaurants. His parents owned small Mexican restaurants with authentic vibes. Flores flew from the desert and headed east, where he attended the Culinary Institute Of America In New York.

When he got back to Texas, he worked in Dallas, he met Tre Wilcox and Chef Kent Rathbun, and worked at the iconic Abacus. The restaurant closed in 2019, but Flores noted the impact it had on his career. He left Abacus for Driftwood (also now closed), a seafood restaurant, where he earned some accolades and made a name for himself.

While he initially didn’t want to start a Mexican restaurant, his roots called him back. He opened up Whistle Britches, which is fried chicken with a Mexican twist. They are opening up a third in Southlake this spring. He also owns Muchacho, which is opening up a location in Southlake, as well.

He looked at a restaurant as a chef for a long time but now looks at it as a business. He talked about the challenges of being a young chef trying to turn a profit off a restaurant. His perspective certainly changed over the years, as he learned what it means to run successful restaurants.

Want to stay up to date on what is happening in Food and Beverage and Run the Pass? Subscribe here.

 

Recent Episodes

fast food value meals
View episode

This summer, fast food chains are responding with a competitive push towards value meals in an effort to combat the rising cost of living and inflation, which has hit wallets worldwide. And $5 dollar value meals seem to be the magic answer. As families seek ways to stretch their budgets further, the fast food…

FBD products
View episode

FBD products are making a difference in quick service restaurants. Amidst escalating costs and demands for customization in the food service industry, the popularity of frozen beverages continues to rise across all demographic groups. To meet these challenges, FBD offers innovative, practical solutions. Our advanced bag-in-box machines simplify preparation and reduce labor costs, assisting…

Regenerative agriculture
View episode

As the global conversation around sustainable food systems intensifies, regenerative agriculture has emerged as a transformative approach to farming that prioritizes ecosystem health, soil vitality, and nutritional quality. This episode of Retail Refined explores why regenerative agriculture is capturing the attention of consumers, policymakers, and investors alike. With nearly 90 regenerative farms funded and…