Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Kaiser.
Hi Sam, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
In March of 2020, we were both furloughed from our jobs at a large convention hotel in Dallas. We always had dreams of opening our own businesses and when we were let go from the hotel, we decided it was time to start working for ourselves. Mike Youssef was the Executive Banquet Chef at our hotel and I was the Senior Food & Beverage manager. We combined our years of Front and Back of House experience and over the year that we were furloughed, put together a plan to start a virtual cheesesteak concept. Nearly 1 year to the day of being told about our furlough, we launched our first concept, Furlough Brothers Cheesesteaks.
Although the sandwiches are incredibly delicious, we decided that eating cheesesteaks for lunch and dinner 6 days a week might not be the greatest idea! We began to cook rice and combine it with the meats from our sandwiches to create our own bowls. After a few weeks of this, it became obvious that this would be our next concept. A few months later in July of 2021, we launched our protein bowl concept Packin’ Bowls. This concept grew quickly in popularity and we now have opened a second ghost kitchen location in Farmers Branch!
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?
I don’t think any entrepreneur would say that their road was smooth! There have been several obstacles and challenges and will continue to be as long as we are operating. Our years of hospitality and restaurant experience laid the foundation for our success in our own venture, but you quickly realize that you are no longer just a kitchen and restaurant manager. You are also the IT department, sales & marketing, engineering, purchasing, finance, accounting, line cook, prep cook, and the list goes on! Working in hospitality prepares you to wear multiple hats, but owning your own business makes you immediately wear all the hats at once.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Furlough Brothers LLC?
At Furlough Brothers, we focus on consistently creating flavorful dishes from scratch recipes that represent multiple cuisines, family favorites, and the culinary adventures we’ve experienced over years in the restaurant industry. We want our guests to feel confident that they will have the same quality experience every time they choose to order from any of our concepts. What sets us apart is also what makes us most proud and that is our well-rounded and customizable menus. Our specialty is the ability to build a menu using real ingredients that gives our guests options no matter what they want to eat, Want Mediterranean for dinner? We have you covered. What about Mexican, American, Korean? We have that too. You want BBQ or seafood? No problem. Are you looking for something gluten-free and keto friendly? We have menu items that will fit those dietary needs too.
What does success mean to you?
Success is simply freedom. Financial freedom is part of it, but ultimately it is freedom of time. Being able to wake up every day and choose exactly how you want to spend your time is the definition of success.
However, at this stage of the business success for us is consistently providing a product that our team is proud to serve and that our guests are excited to eat!
Contact Info:
- Website: packin-bowls.com; furloughbrothers.com
- Instagram: @packin_bowls @furloughbrothers
- Facebook: @furloughbrothers
Image Credits
@foodiemunster
