EATERAZ Restaurant Week: Sam Fox
Feature,Featured Posts
Welcome back to our creative way of using a cool feature story that 944 magazine f$%^&ed us out of running. (Kidding, gang!) See, they assigned this great story, went and went out of business, and left us with the orphaned work. This week, we’re using the story as a five-parter, profiling one person each day, a person we think deserves a lot of credit for the way our local food and beverage scene operates. Today, it’s Sam Fox. Read on to find out why we think he’s such an influencer followed by an insightful little Q&A.
Sam Fox thought you might love a pizza joint that’s a little more trendy, or a health-conscious restaurant that might help you live longer, or neighborhood Italian, or tacos and tequila, or a burger with wine instead of beer, or …. well, food of just about any kind. His list of businesses goes on and on. But if Sam Fox thinks you want it, the odds are pretty damn good you do. His Fox Restaurant Concepts strikes the perfect balance between neighborhood local and big business. The company has grown and expanded by leaps and bounds (Sauce, Bloom, North, Blanco, True Food, Culinary Dropout, Olive & Ivy, Modern Steak, Zinburger, Arrogant Butcher…) but retains a creative, homegrown vibe. The company is also known for taking a lot of EATERAZ’s money (we eat at Fox spots often), because it seems you can’t drive 10 miles in this town without running into one. Soon, you probably won’t be able to visit a state without one of his concepts in particular… Read on to find out which one.
Besides the money, why are you in this biz?
I think the question is ‘Why am I still in this business’ … and it’s because I’m still having a great time.
What trend is the dining scene currently in?
Casual, local, neighborhood dining. People want to relax. Even if something is higher end, it should be approachable.
What trend is next?
Restaurants like True Food Kitchen. True Food is not just a restaurant, it’s a movement. People are more conscious and critical about what they put in their bodies more than ever. True Food responds to that. You’ll see more of that concept open in other markets because people want to eat this kind of food. I have to tell you, people stop me and say ‘thank you for creating this place.’ That never happened with any of the other concepts. Just look at that kale salad on the menu. I think it’s the number one copied item by other restaurants. I’m even putting it on the menus of my other restaurants. I’m copying myself!
What is the number one reason other restaurants fail?
A restaurant fails when a chef or owner creates it for themselves and not for the people. You’ve got to take the ego out of it and simply ask yourself what people want. Besides that, owners who fail don’t have the financial wherewithal to see things through. It’s the ‘restaurant business’ … it’s two words, not one.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
