Today we’d like to introduce you to Isaac Mathai.
Isaac, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Sam Pendyala, a family friend for over 30 years, and I grew up together and volunteered in our community as well as served in the churches we went to. We started in the event industry in doing audio video production and DJ in 2006. We talked every now and then about having our own business in the wedding industry with no idea what our talks would lead us to. I went to radiology school, graduated and was practicing in Fort Worth. Sam graduated from UTD with a Business Administration degree and went to own a couple of quick service restaurants in Richardson.
Sam sold his restaurants and had all the kitchen equipment in his garage along with all the audio equipment in hopes of doing something later. In summer of 2012, I had the urge of starting my own business after feeling that I was stuck on the career ladder. The idea of starting a business came back and it became all that I could think about. I was scared to tell anyone because it sounded crazy because I had a stable career going on for myself. After a couple of months Sam and I got together and the subject of a business came up during dinner. We sat down with our wives and children and designed on a napkin, what became our dreams of Hidden Creek. We broke ground in the Fall of 2015, and in the Spring of 2016, we started construction, and on October 15th, 2016 we completed our first wedding at Hidden Creek.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There were definitely several learning opportunities throughout this whole process. This was our first large construction project and the first commercial development in the area. With that being said, there were some challenges to get all the utilities from water, sewer, gas, electrical and even phone and data lines to our property. Mother Nature also had its own say during the construction as well. Spring 2016 was really wet which made it less than ideal for construction. Because of rain delays, there was a domino effect on the other trades. With some prayer, divine intervention and cooperation of the City, General Contractor and all the subs, we were able to complete everything right before our first wedding on October 15, 2016.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Hidden Creek – what should we know?
Hidden Creek is a wedding and events venue just located about 30 minutes east of Downtown Dallas. Hidden Creek provides a vintage setting within the city. Hidden Creek provides a rustic, Texas feel with a touch of elegance.
I am the owner of this beautiful venue and I help out in any way that is needed. I am a hands-on type of owner and want to know every aspect of the business. If I don’t know how to do everything, how am I supposed to lead my team or know the value of each aspect of the business. I need to know the details so I can be an effective leader and know when to innovate to stay ahead of the market.
I am the most proud of that I am able to help others bring their dreams to life as well as build from this crazy idea that we had into one of the premier rustic venues in the metroplex. What sets us apart from the others is the flow and the design of our facility and property.
Combined with our fast service restaurant experience and our audio/video production background, we were able to create a space that other vendors love to come to as well as clients to host their special moments with us! The cherry on top is our sales staff that is willing to help our clients and vendors with anything they would need! We want to make the whole experience from the client side as well as other vendors to be fun!
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
First of all, I want to give credit to my wife, Joyce! I could not do this without her encouragement, support and her wise counsel. I believe Sam can say the same thing about his wife Gloria. Our families, especially our parents who kept on encouraging when times were tough.
Being an entrepreneur is no easy task and there is kind of a roller coaster of emotions we have as we are building our business. So, our families and close friends had to deal with that which is not easy. I cannot name everyone but they know who they are who introduced me to many people in the wedding and event industry when I started networking in 2015. I am truly grateful for the friendships and connections that I have made in this whirlwind of 2 years.
Pricing:
- Saturday 12 hour rental – $7,500 (20% off during off-peak months)
- Saturday 10 hour rental – $6,250 (20% off during off-peak months)
- Friday/Sunday 12 hour rental – $6,000 (20% off during off-peak months)
- Friday/Sunday 10 hour rental – $5,000 (20% off during off-peak months)
- Monday – Thursday 12 hour rental – $4,500 (20% off during off-peak months)
- Monday – Thursday 10 hour rental – $4,000 (20% off during off-peak months)
Contact Info:
- Address: 215 Chris Cuny Pkwy.
Heath, TX 75032 - Website: www.hiddencreekevents.com
- Phone: 972-535-6686
- Email: info@hiddencreekevents.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiddencreekevents
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HiddenCreekEvents
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/hiddencreektx
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hidden-creek-heath
Image Credits:
Justin Yoder Sutdios
Amy Zumwalt Photographers
Lori Blythe Photography
Hannah Way Photography
Meggie Taylor Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
