Today we’d like to introduce you to Ellexis “Lex” Lindsey.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When people ask how Big Zaddy’s started, I usually tell them it started way before the thought of a restaurant was a twinkle in my eye. It started in my childhood.
Growing up, burgers were a staple in our house, especially during family cookouts. Some of my favorite memories are of my Dad grilling burgers, hot dogs, and brats while my sisters and I ran through the sprinkler, played with water guns, and spent the day surrounded by family. Those moments represent a simpler time in my life—when our family was together, our home was full of love, and food had a way of bringing everyone into the same place.
Cookies have an equally special place in our story. My Dad always believed that a cookie should be big enough to fill a kid’s hand—and then “grow with you” as you get older. A lot of my fondest memories growing up were making oversized chocolate chip cookies together with my Dad and sisters, sneaking bites of cookie dough and laughing as we slammed giant dough balls onto the baking sheet so they’d spread out while they baked. Today, I get to watch him share those same traditions with my nieces and nephews, and I’ve had the chance to do the same. Those experiences taught me that food is about so much more than what’s on the plate—it’s about the memories and relationships that are created around it.
That idea became the heart of Big Zaddy’s. More than serving great burgers and cookies, I wanted to create a place that reminds people of those moments: family cookouts, childhood memories, laughter, and the feeling of being together. If someone leaves our restaurant feeling even a little of that nostalgia, we’ve done our job.
My love for restaurants continued to grow in college while working at Scotty’s Brewhouse. It remains one of my favorite jobs because it showed me the impact a restaurant can have on people’s lives. I watched first dates turn into marriages, families grow, and regular guests become friends. At the same time, I was figuring out who I wanted to become as an adult, and many of the friendships and mentors I found there helped shape that journey.
A few years later, I moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where I joined the McNellie’s Group as part of their marketing team. That experience completely expanded my perspective. It was the first time I’d seen a successful restaurant group operating multiple concepts, each with its own identity and purpose, while making a meaningful impact on the communities they served. Watching founder Elliott Nelson build not just restaurants, but gathering places, inspired a new dream for me.
Today, Big Zaddy’s is the first step toward that vision. While we’re known for our burgers, our mission has always been much bigger than food. We want to create places where people gather, celebrate, reconnect, and make memories. My hope is that years from now, families will look back on meals at Big Zaddy’s the same way I look back on those cookouts with my dad—with gratitude, nostalgia, and the reminder that some of life’s best moments happen around a table.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road—but I don’t think I would want it to be.
Big Zaddy’s has been completely bootstrapped from day one, and while I’d worked in restaurants for years, this was my first time building a business from the ground up. There’s no manual for that. Every challenge has become an opportunity to learn, grow, and become a better leader.
The restaurant industry is incredibly tough, and there are moments that have tested my resolve. I’m constantly balancing limited resources, making difficult decisions, and wearing more hats than I ever imagined. On any given day, I might be cooking, prepping, washing dishes, creating social media content, working on marketing, or handling the bookkeeping. That’s simply the reality of building something from scratch.
One of the biggest lessons has been learning to stay focused. It’s easy to look around and feel pressure to chase every trend or constantly reinvent yourself. But every time I’ve been tempted to do that, I’ve come back to the same question: *What are we really trying to say through Big Zaddy’s?*
The answer has never changed.
We’re not trying to be the trendiest burger restaurant. We’re trying to remind people of the burger they grew up loving—the one that takes them back to family cookouts, childhood memories, and simpler times. We’re in the business of creating moments that people remember, not just meals they eat.
Another challenge has been visibility. We’re a small restaurant operating inside a food hall, so one of our biggest ongoing goals is simply helping more people discover that we’re here. Fortunately, our community has been incredibly supportive. Watching guests return, bring their friends and families, and tell others about us has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey.
More than anything, this experience has taught me perseverance. Building a business has stretched me in every area of my life, but it’s also made me a better leader, a better steward, and a better person. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity God has given me, and every challenge has only strengthened my commitment to serving our community well. Looking back, I wouldn’t trade the lessons for an easier path.
We’ve been impressed with Big Zaddy’s Burger Co., but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At the surface, Big Zaddy’s is a burger restaurant. We serve handcrafted burgers, wings, fries cooked in beef tallow, and oversized gourmet cookies.
But what we’re really trying to build is much bigger than a restaurant.
We’re building a brand that reminds people of when life felt a little simpler—family cookouts, birthdays, neighborhood gatherings, late-night conversations, and the feeling that comes from sharing a great meal with the people you love. We believe some of life’s best memories are made around a table, and we want every guest who walks through our doors to experience that sense of nostalgia.
That philosophy is deeply personal to me. Our burgers are cooked over an open flame because we believe that flavor brings people back to those backyard cookouts. Our cookies are oversized because they’re inspired by the giant cookies my dad used to bake with my sisters and me when we were kids. Every item we create is meant to tell a story and evoke a memory.
I’m also half Black and half Filipino, and as Big Zaddy’s grows, we’re intentionally incorporating more Filipino flavors and traditions into our menu as a way of honoring my family’s heritage. Today, you’ll find that influence in items like our ube cookie inspired by halo-halo and our Blasian Zing wings, which pay tribute to the flavors of chicken adobo. That’s only the beginning, and we’re excited to continue sharing more of that culture with our community as the brand evolves.
What I’m most proud of isn’t any single menu item—it’s that we’re building a restaurant with a clear point of view. We aren’t trying to chase every trend. We’re trying to create a place where great food brings people together, sparks conversation, and becomes part of someone’s favorite memories.
Long-term, Big Zaddy’s is just the beginning. My dream is to build a family of restaurant concepts that each have their own identity but share the same heart: bringing people together, celebrating culture, creating meaningful experiences, and making a positive impact on the communities they serve. If, years from now, families are still making memories around our tables, we’ll know we’ve accomplished exactly what we set out to do.
What matters most to you?
At the end of the day, what matters most to me is people.
Food has always been the vehicle, but people have always been the purpose. Whether it’s creating a place where families can gather over a great meal, investing in our team, supporting our local community, or mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs, I want Big Zaddy’s to be known for making people’s lives better in some way.
I’m especially passionate about serving communities and individuals who are often overlooked or under-resourced. If we’re fortunate enough to grow, I want that growth to create opportunities—not just for our business, but for the people around us. I hope we’re able to give back, create jobs, mentor aspiring business owners, and use our platform to make a meaningful difference.
I also believe the restaurant industry has an incredible opportunity to lead with hospitality in its truest sense. Hospitality isn’t just about serving great food—it’s about making people feel seen, valued, and cared for. That’s the culture I want to build within our company and the experience I want every guest to have when they visit us.
My faith has also become a guiding force in how I approach both business and leadership. I believe we’ve been entrusted with this opportunity for a reason, and I want to steward it well. Success, to me, isn’t measured only by sales or growth. It’s measured by the impact we have on people’s lives, the integrity with which we operate, and whether we leave our community better than we found it.
If Big Zaddy’s can become a business that serves people well, creates opportunities for others, and leaves a lasting, positive impact, then I’ll consider that a life well spent.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bigzaddysburgers.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigzaddysburgerco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigzaddysburgerco/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bigzaddysburgers
