Today we’d like to introduce you to Charles Houk.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I first bought half of the original Southern Junction in Royse City in 2008. I decided to buy in after my first visit there in 2003 when I fell in love with the concept. Steakhouse and Nightclub! It screamed TEXAS!
I believed the concept was repeatable and bought in with an expansion vision, and was able to start that process this year with the opening of the Irving location in partnership with Eric and Tara Linder, who owned the building in Irving and were seeking an operator. So, over the last couple years we bought out the founder of Southern Junction and now the Linder’s and I are partners. We have dreams of further expansion and have already purchased a Granbury property for that purpose.
Before buying into Southern Junction, I was a bank manager for World Savings and then Chase Bank, but was never really happy in the corporate world
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road at all! First of all, just getting started with no real industry experience and no pile of cash laying around made it tough and I was laughed out of a lot of banks. It literally took 40 or so meetings before I found the financing to put the first deal together. To my surprise, even with the experience, the second location was even tougher because bank financing tightened up and the restaurant business is considered risky.
Then there was the learning curve. It was steep and I have made plenty of mistakes in the 10 years I’ve been doing this. I love watching people have a good time, but making that happen takes a ton of hard work! From staffing to operations to compliance, I’ve learned a bunch of hard lessons.
One quick example. Just when I thought things were going pretty smooth, I decided to hire Bevintel, a liquor inventory company. I found out quickly that I was being robbed blind by an employee. It was an eye-opener and sent me back to the drawing board on processes and procedures. I kicked myself for not seeing it and letting my guard down.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Southern Junction is the most unique venue I’ve ever been in. It is fully a Steakhouse and I’m proud of the quality of food we serve and the way we serve it. It is also fully a Nightclub, complete with a huge dance floor, live music every night, DJs who know how to throw party, and regular regional or national performers.
We specialize in giving guests a real authentic Texas experience. And hopefully the same magic I experienced. We also specialize in group experiences for 2 or 2000 for date nights, birthday or other parties, and corporate events.
I’m most proud as a company that we have managed to stay authentic for all the years we’ve been open.
Several things set us apart. There are plenty of steakhouses and plenty of honky-tonks, but I don’t know of any place that meshes the two as seamlessly as Southern Junction. We are also set apart because of our size. Where else can you walk in with a large group and be seated immediately? The biggest thing that sets us apart is the huge indoor, open charcoal grills where customers have the option to cook their own steaks. This has been a novelty that customers have enjoyed for many years. And at our Irving location, we put in a giant 25 ft. wide HD Projection screen that you do not find anywhere else.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The city has been great to work with through the approval, construction, and inspection process. The public has been very supportive of everything we’ve been doing and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. So yes, Irving has shown us nothing but positivity and if they wrap arms around every business like they have us, then I’d definitely recommend Irving as a great place to do business.
Pricing:
- Dinners run $10-30
Contact Info:
- Address: 101 N Rogers Rd
Irving, TX 75061 - Website: Www.sojoirving.com
- Phone: 469-417-0902
- Email: info@sojoirving.com
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/sojoirving/
Image Credit:
Greg Roach Photography
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