Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Merritt.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ben. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I feel I was like any other person trying to find where they fit-in in life. I’ve always been told to do what you love for a living and life will be great. Early in my career, I was in the US Navy and worked as an electrician. I was good at it. Really good, but it didn’t bring me any joy. Then I went to work in retail. That brought me some joy due to the social aspect of the job, but I didn’t feel like I was contributing anything from me. Thats when I had to look inside and ask myself what do I love to do. What makes me happy, no matter what. The answer that came up and on top of all other answers was I love to eat. Food brings me joy. Trying new dishes. Dishes from other cultures. I had never really cooked before this moment. This is when I decided to go to culinary school and I enrolled at The Arts Institute of Dallas culinary program. Quickly, I discovered I had a knack for cooking and I had a really good palate. My tongue was like a fined tuned instrument that could easily tell if a dish needed more salt or acid and if it was balanced and delicious. In the early years of my culinary, I worked for some great chefs trying to learn as much as I could from them. During this time, I discovered the chefs who worked hard and had some business sense opened successful restaurants and created themselves a wonderful living. This gave me a new goal of wanting my own restaurant. With a new goal in life, I worked tirelessly to learn the business aspect of a restaurant and started forming my business plan. In a short ten years, I felt I was ready to take the risk and that I had enough knowledge to be successful. It’s now five years later and I have just opened my second restaurant
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
With the opening of Fixture, it has been a really smooth road. I feel that I had the right concept at the right time in the right location. I lucked out on finding a 2nd generation restaurant that required minimal capital to get the doors open in a booming neighborhood. Once I had the doors open, I participated and won Fort Worth Texas magazine’s Top Chef and Top Chef Master Competition. Both of those wins really gave a boost to business and put my name out in front of an enormous untapped pool of customers.
Now with my second restaurant, it has not been as smooth. Starting off with the building of the restaurant. Construction delays put the opening almost 18 months behind and construction cost increased almost 25% during that time putting me at the max amount of what I had budgeted. Also, I was opening a restaurant in an area that was very dependent on college students that were just getting out for summer break. It has taken a lot of great management and perseverance to make the second restaurant operate with a positive cash flow.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Fixture – Kitchen and Social Lounge – what should we know?
Fixture – Kitchen and Social Lounge focuses on southern and American classics and puts our own eclectic twist on them. We have a domestic wine and spirits program and focus on beers crafted within our city limits. My goal is to provide a quality chef-driven meal at an affordable price. My other restaurant, Ben’s Triple B, focuses on biscuits, burger, and brews. I feel the one thing that separates me from most other restaurants is my personal care that I have for my guest and their experience while dining at my establishments
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
First, God deserves credit for keeping me in this world long enough to have a positive impact on the community I live in. During my toughest times, he was always there to lift me up. Through my life, I have had many mentors and supporters who had a shaping impact on who I am and who I have become. I feel I developed my palate working for Chef Stephan Pyles. I learned some of my business savvy from Chef Tim Love. My core values and work ethic was shaped by being in the Boy scouts and serving in the US Navy. I try to learn from every person I come in contact with.
Contact Info:
- Address: 401 W. Magnolia Ave
Fort Worth, TX 76104 - Website: www.fixturefw.com
- Phone: 8177082663
- Email: chef@fixturefw.com
- Facebook: fixturefw
Image Credit:
Nancy Farrar
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