Meet Dennis Dial of Cafe Gecko

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dennis Dial.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I graduated from Texas Tech in 1978, and moved to Dallas with Business Degree in hand and got busy interviewing for my “big job outta college.” I landed a job with a big company and put on a suit and tie and worked for one day and came home and quit. I had decided that I did not want to depend on some big company to take care of me and trust them not to lay me off and live for that one week vacation each year. I went to work bartending in Addison and made great money and traveled the world. Best decision of my life.

After 12 years working for other owners and watching them treat people poorly, I decided I could do it better. I had saved my money and found a little spot in Addison and bet it all on Cafe Gecko. I had spent a lot of time in Cozumel, Mexico and grew to love the lime and garlic flavor of the cuisine there which inspired my menu. My big declaration was that anybody could make a beer cold, but the longevity is in the food. I used the best ingredients I could buy and came up with a unique menu that has not changed much in 27 years. Ask any of our devoted regulars and the thing that keeps them coming back is indeed the great food.

I have been very lucky and have had many of my staff for over 20 years and developed a culture that makes it fun to come to work. After 13 years in Addison, I opened a second location in Austin Ranch in The Colony and relocated that one to Plano two years ago. One of my longtime employees and her husband opened Cafe Gecko in Richardson in 2017 under a licensing agreement. The two newer versions are very popular and successful although they lack the worn out, cigarette smelling saloon feel that comes with 27 years of great stories. It is truly filled with history.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Anybody that is successful in the restaurant business will tell you that it is never a smooth road for long, Just when you start to relax, there is a crisis right around the corner waiting to rear its ugly head.

Honestly, I have enjoyed every day of it even with the struggles. In the early days, I even slept in a crawl space over the kitchen in Addison because it seems I could never leave. It was my baby, and every penny I had was bet on it working.

Cafe Gecko – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Again as I had declared, the key to longevity is great food. I feel like if I can get someone in the door to try the seafood nachos or sour cream enchiladas, you will be hooked. I don’t change the menu because if I took anything off, I would have a lot of folks mad at me. Everything is good, and I just want to be in your rotation. From the handmade stuffed jalapeños to the Mexican shrimp cocktail, everything we sell we make from scratch.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I truly believe that success is doing something you enjoy every day. My son is senior at The University of Arkansas, and I just lectured him on not to worry about a big money job out of college, just do something you look forward to getting up to do every day, even if it means sacrificing the big bucks.

I feel like there is nothing worse than talking to people who hate their jobs but do it for the money. When I opened gecko, I was honestly only looking to create a bartending job for myself. It wasn’t about making a lot of money. I simply wanted to be my own boss.

Contact Info:

• Address: 6145 Windhaven Pkwy (Plano)
  5290 Beltline (Addison)
  Richardson location is the SE corner of Coit and Cambell
• Website: cafegecko.net
• Phone: 972.797.7726
• Email: ddial@minspring.com

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.