Today we’d like to introduce you to Sonja and Dennis Johnson.
Sonja and Dennis, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Our love story starts about 5 years ago when I (Dennis) accepted a position in Irving, far from my original home in Kansas City. Shortly after I arrived in the Dallas area, I met my future bride Sonja at a little wine bistro. Little did we know where that chance meeting would lead. A few years later, we married, and a new chapter of both of our lives began.
The position has brought me to Texas came to an end, and Sonja changed jobs to pursue her true passion, becoming an HR consultant. Having worked for others for both our entire adult lives, we decided to become our own bosses. We spent considerable time researching business and franchise opportunities. One opportunity that we kept coming back to was in a field where neither of us had a great deal of experience. However, we knew others that had been successful in the restaurant business, and we felt our business background and our experience working with people would help us through the process. The Bohemian Bull Tavern and Beer Garden out of Charleston, SC, was starting their own journey into the franchise world, and it seemed like the perfect fit.
We were drawn to the concept by Bohemian Bull’s commitment to quality, the food and drinks they serve, their focus on customer service, and the work/life balance they expect their employees to enjoy. A few telephone discussions followed, and we decided to dig a little deeper.
We were invited to visit the restaurant in Charleston to see for ourselves if this concept would work in faraway Texas. While there, we were able to sample much of the food, meet with the franchisors, meet with the staff, and talk to others that were beginning their journey with the franchise. We were also assured that we were not entering this journey on our own but that the franchise team would be with us every step of the way.
We quickly fell in love with the atmosphere, the food, and the concept. We especially loved the made-from-scratch menu and were impressed with the extra efforts to grind meat on-site for burgers instead of using preformed or frozen patties. The extensive craft beer menu along with a vast array of specialty drinks, made the bar stand out. Most of all the calm, friendly, entertaining atmosphere was something that we felt we could emulate in Grapevine.
After completing the franchise agreement and receiving additional information from the franchisor, we started our efforts to form a company, set up accounts, and find the perfect spot for the Bohemian Bull in Texas. We knew that the Grapevine area would be the perfect location, so we focused much of our search in and around Grapevine. After a few months, we found what we believe to be the perfect spot. Not far from Main Street, the center of the tourist area, and located on a highly trafficked road. We now had a place to call home. At this point, we’re about 1 month away from opening Bohemian Bull-Grapevine, the first in Texas.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Finding the perfect location was challenging in that we were looking for second-generation restaurant with outdoor space for our beer garden and that also had rent fitting into our budget.
Our location seemed to meet all our needs or would meet them after a few alterations to the building.
We did not have experience working through the permitting process and gaining local approvals, so we relied on outside consultants to walk us through that process. This created some unexpected expenses, but in retrospect, it was well worth it to help work through the processes. We also did not anticipate some of the expectations from the local government, such as added sidewalks and landscaping. City officials helped us through that process, and we worked with our General Contractor to ensure that all requirements were met.
One other very unexpected challenge came from Mother Nature. As we were beginning the renovation process in December 2022, our property was the target of a tornado. We were fortunate in that most of our damage was restricted to fallen trees, loss of power, and some minor roof damage, but it set the project back a bit.
The final challenge is our own impatience. Once construction started, we expected everything to flow quickly from one step to the next. We now know that equipment deliveries, construction materials, and workers aren’t always on the same schedule as us. We are learning to be more patient as we are still waiting on a few key pieces (such as a front door)
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We are currently focused on putting our team together. We are fortunate to have found a General Manager, Bar Manager, Kitchen Manager, and Assistant Managers that have the right demeanor and drive to make Bohemian Bull Grapevine a success. Sonja’s expertise in Human Resources has helped us to not only identify the right people but also to get them started off on the right foot.
We are also actively recruiting for the rest of the team that will prepare the food, serve the food, prepare the drinks and delight our customers. Our management team has taken the lead in recruiting, interviewing, and selecting an All-Star team for us.
At the same time, we are finalizing agreements with our vendors, completing the remaining renovations, and promoting our restaurant to all of Grapevine and the DFW area.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Both Sonja and I have had a full career of leading people and managing projects. That lifetime of experience will certainly pay off as we leap headfirst into a new lifestyle and livelihood. We both believe strongly that you must have passion for what you are doing in order to be successful. Finally, we don’t know what we don’t know. For that reason, we feel it is important to remain humble, reach out to those that have done this before, rely on our franchisor’s guidance, and use the expertise of the team that we’ve already hired.
Most importantly, we are a team. We are traveling together through this adventure. Our love for each other and for our mission will get us to where we hope to be!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bohemianbull.com/grapevine
- Instagram: @bohemianbullgrapevinetx
