Today we’d like to introduce you to Rick Valley.
Hi Rick, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
As a college student, I worked in restaurants to pay my bills and rent. One of the supervisors asked me if I ever thought of getting into the management side of restaurants, and I said no possible way. 6 months later I asked what it paid, and he told me a number that made sense, so I said yes. I worked for that group in College Station, Huntsville, and Waco for 5 years. I then left and moved to Arlington to work for Bobby Valentine, the Texas Rangers manager at the time, who owned two sports bars. I stayed with Bobby for 5 years, and then went on to work for Brinker International in Dallas and Houston as a General Manager. I then went to join some great colleagues at P.F. Chang’s and helped grow that concept from 6 restaurants to over 200 in my 21 years there. I was a multi-unit director for the last 15 years that I spent there. I then got a few friends together and started Hillside Fine Grill in Highland Village in 2017, opening in October of 2018.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Year one at Hillside was great, doing right at $4 million in sales. Then COVID hit in year 2, and it was a struggle and a very trying time for sure. We didn’t do any takeout in 2018, zero, and had to transform a strictly dine-in restaurant into a strictly curbside Togo operation in a matter of a week. I had lots of experience with Togo in my time at Chang’s, so I had to make a plan quickly and get up to speed quickly so that we did not burn our cash reserves. The goal was to break even until the virus was contained enough to allow people safely back into our dining rooms. We thankfully did just that, and did not lose any money in 2020 thanks to my great team here!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At Hillside Fine Grill, we serve American food in a great atmosphere at a great price point and value. We spend a great deal of time and effort on the service details so that we are polished and “2 steps up” from casual dining. We want to be known as a polished casual dining restaurant, and not just another casual dining operation. Our staff is made up of a bunch of ladies and gentlemen who like to work in an upbeat and fun atmosphere. They truly care about our guests, and want to go above and beyond to please them and make sure that they want to come back and see us soon. I think that our freshly prepared food, along with our great atmosphere and staff, sets us apart from the competitors in our marketplace.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The restaurant industry will be even more digital in the upcoming several months and years, not only for online ordering and picking up food, but also for reservations and kitchen communication systems. The digital age was around the corner anyhow before COVID hit, but the virus and the restrictions pushed the implementation ahead 2-3 years ahead of schedule. This is a win win for the operators and the guests in my opinion.
Great food and service will never go out of style, and the consumers will support a business if it delivers these things on a consistent basis. There is always room to improve, and I look for ways to make Hillside even better every day.
Contact Info:
- Email: rvalley@hillsidefinegrill.com
- Website: https://www.hillsidegrillhighlandvillage.com/
