Today we’d like to introduce you to Christi and Brian Rudolph.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Opening our own restaurant was a dream of ours for many years but the concept behind the Holy Grail Pub didn’t take shape until our own work experiences had time to barrel-age and reach a maturation point. We met while working in the bar of a notable hotel in Downtown Austin. After a few years working together at a nightclub on Sixth Street, we moved to Dallas and Brian took on a managerial role at the Old Monk on Henderson. His years at the Old Monk were trans-formative in inspiring us to throw caution to the wind and enter the restaurant world.
A pub was where we felt at home, and the Dallas suburbs were a place that needed a good home. Our mission was to bring Plano the kind of welcoming public house, popular in Europe, that upon entry offers a warm, cozy feel with dark woods and exposed stone, where you can pop in at all hours of the day to enjoy good food and drink. When we first opened, people were hesitant to share the long communal tables with strangers, but eventually, they became the most popular tables in the room. Over the years, we evolved into exactly what we hoped for, a place that is unforgettable and people want to come back to again and again.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Owning a restaurant can certainly test one’s grit and resilience. Although many people daydream about quitting their job and owning their own bar, the reality is far less glamorous. The near hourly challenges of balancing staffing, vendor, landlord, and customer needs require unwavering devotion to your craft of creating a place to enjoy good food and drink. The price of beer and spirits continues to surge upwards and creating consistency with staff changes are common struggles. As much as we felt we were prepared to open our own business with Brian’s years of experience and my marketing background, we never could have predicted how many different challenges can arise at any time.
The restaurant world tends to attract a lot of extroverted people who want to spend their days making people happy. Cultivating talent from within has been important to us. Brian wasn’t the only former staffer of the Old Monk to branch out on his own, and as a result, we’ve all made an impact on the Dallas pub scene. We too hope that we can inspire on of our own one day to follow their hearts and open their own place. A corporate chain restaurant training program will only get you so far in preparing one for owning a business. Most people are taught only what to do in a nightmare scenario where the staff doesn’t show up for work one night, but don’t get an education in how to best navigate local government agencies that can have a say in the color you paint the walls. There are so many snap decisions that need to be made on a near-daily basis and when you’re the owner, it’s solely up to you to make a plan, but it helps to have input from those who believe in your mission. Finding a team that you can trust and respect is the key to overcoming challenges and true harmony in your business.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Holy Grail Pub – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Our reputation for our food has won us numerous “best of” awards over the years. Our gravy fries has been a hit since we opened. It’s the same with our Steak Frites, Ghost Pepper Chili and our burger. We were one of the first kitchen’s in our area to ground the meat by hand. Our commitment to making everything from scratch has held steady over the years at a time when other restaurants are offering more pre-cooked food to get it out on the table faster.
Our bartenders are well versed in the language of craft beer’s subtle flavors, styles and trends. Although we are not the only place with more than 50 taps, we do pride ourselves on a carefully curated draft list. Twice a week we update our list of rotating seasonals. Most are limited release and once we sell out, they’re gone. We want our customers to come eager to try new things. Brian’s knowledge of craft beer and whiskey is always evolving and he loves to share what he learns. If you catch him behind the bar, he’ll offer up samples and make a fan out of even the pickiest imbibers.
Ten years ago when we opened, Dallas had no craft beer scene. Our beer menu was lengthy, but consisted almost entirely of European imports. We spent those early years introducing our community to locally produced craft beer, even if (512) and Live Oak out of Austin had to be considered “locals”. We took a chance on a lot of start-up breweries and gave them a tap and handed out samples to customers across the bar. Our staff would push some of their favorites to customers who had never heard of them and those same breweries are widely distributed today.
Plano used to have a reputation for an abundance of family dining chains, but our area has had an influx of new restaurants in the past 2-3 years. Naturally, we’ve had to keep on our toes to entice repeat visits and earn new customers. We still place a very high importance on the quality of food. Everything is still made from scratch in house. Last year we even started making our own pasta. It’s something we were passionate about trying for years, but it took some time until we had the right leadership in the kitchen who was just as excited about offering it and was up to the challenge.
People are increasingly interested in trying new cocktails and spirits so we keep changing our menu towards more of a rotating selection so that the menu is different every time you come in. We’ve recently expanded into available space in our building thus offering more indoor seating and bar space so we can handle the big groups of co-workers and friends that arrive for Happy Hour or celebratory lunches. We want everyone who visits us to feel transported away from a suburban landscape into that elemental old world pub.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Pubs that truly connect to their community have staying power. We recently visited a pub in London that just celebrated their 180th birthday. Here’s hoping we are on that track.
Pricing:
- Small Plates: $8
- Soups, Salads, Sandwiches, Desserts: $6-$14
- Big Plates: $16-$18
Contact Info:
- Address: The Holy Grail Pub
8240 Preston Road #150
Plano, TX 75024 - Website: www.holygrailpub.com
- Phone: 972-377-6633
- Email: mgr@holygrailpub.com
- Instagram: holygrailpub
- Facebook: holygrailpubplano
- Twitter: holygrailpub
Image Credit:
Red Spade Media
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