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The clock rounds 10:15am on a Saturday, and I find myself perched behind the host stand of House of Brunch, taking a beat to catch my breath. As it tends to be at this time each Saturday, the place is abuzz with a lively crowd living their best lives – glass and silverware clink over conversations and laughter that echo through the space. Meticulously chosen music blankets the sounds of the restaurant and creates the bustling vibe one can only be attracted to. The fun, almost party-like atmosphere is why so many guests are drawn to House of Brunch in the first place (not to mention the food and drinks). The energetic, uplifting vibe has become somewhat of our calling card. There is always something to celebrate, and we know how to throw a party. Our entire philosophy comes from our belief that weekends are short-lived and precious – why can’t Saturday mornings be as much fun as Saturday nights?
There is, however, one Saturday where the whole town turns into a big celebration all day long: Small Business Saturday®. This year will be our second Small Business Saturday since we opened in March of 2023, and, as always, it’s a big moment for the businesses that pepper downtown Spokane.
House of Brunch occupies the corner of N Lincoln and W Riverside, a few blocks south from the Spokane River. We’ve got a courthouse and a few hotels in stone’s throwing distance – what you might expect from a classic downtown – and we’re surrounded by dozens of independently owned shops, restaurants, and fitness studios. Many of my neighbors and peers will put out Small Business Saturday signs and advertise specials, beckoning the individuals and families that stroll by with cups of coffee and bubble tea in hand. I like to think that House of Brunch plays a key role on Small Business Saturday: we fuel a few hundred guests with both food and energy, getting them ready to embark on a shop-small journey to spend some of their time and hard-earned dollars at their favorite small businesses.
I am beyond grateful for Small Business Saturday. It feels a bit like a birthday celebration for us small-business owners. People take the time to visit different storefronts, bringing with them an eagerness to express just how much small business means to their community – it’s not only that they’re coming to shop, but they’re coming to say hello, to let us know that they see us here, that they want us here. And to me, the small-business community of Spokane perfectly represents the unique, eclectic culture that our town has –we’ve got character, we’ve got charm, and of course, a never-ending supply of lilacs.
A Life-Long Dream
I’ve wanted to own a restaurant since I was 15 years old. Back then, I was working as a dishwasher at an upscale eatery in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Friday and Saturday nights I’d ride my bike to work and scrub pots and pans until my fingers were completely raw from steel wool and bleach. After service ended, I’d watch the owner grab a glass of wine and sit down with the chef to talk about how the evening went and how they could improve tomorrow. Standing in that dish room, I knew that one day I wanted to be the one sitting at that table, laughing and planning. At 15, I was determined to own my own restaurant.
After I graduated high school I threw myself into hospitality jobs while taking business classes . I started out at a tap house, working my way up from busser to food runner to server. Then I dipped my toes into bartending and fell in love with craft beer, so I got certified as a cicerone, which is essentially a beer expert. Along the way, I met the woman who would become my wife, and after we had our first child, I got a job at a corporate restaurant that had a training program. I learned everything I could about restaurant management, in time becoming general manager. That was really a turning point in my career, as I started to understand the structure it takes to make a restaurant succeed. I planned to apply it to my own business in the future.
Small businesses have a lot to offer, and I’m so grateful to American Express for creating this holiday, as a way of looking out for the little guy.
That was around 2018, and I still had a lot more to learn. I wanted those lessons to come from the best in the business, so when I was 25, my family and I moved to Big Sky, Montana, where I worked as a supervisor at a private club, with many restaurants on site. With a steady stream of A-list celebrities and billionaires, this was hands-down the wildest and most luxurious place I’ve ever worked. Many of the chefs came from well known restaurants, and I knew this was my opportunity to become a sponge and soak up every little thing I could. It didn’t take long before I was promoted to assistant manager and then manager. I studied wine intently and became a certified sommelier. And I competed in an in-house competition to design the best tasting-menu experience, and won. The prize was traveling to Chicago for an awards show, where I got to see the best chefs of the world receive honors. I remember looking at my manager and saying, “I’m going to be on that stage one day.”
In 2021 – after a move to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for work, I came up with a concept for my own restaurant: an upscale brunch spot with a locally sourced menu serving all tastes and lifestyles, whether you want green juice and a quinoa bowl or sparkling wine and a chef’s tasting menu. My brother came up with the name, House of Brunch.
I threw myself into the planning. From 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. I’d work, then wake up early and focus on things like market analysis, budgets, projections, logos, training, and procedures for my place. After about six months, I had a 45-page binder, and I knew it was one of the best things I’d ever created. I shared it with a co-worker, who loved it so much he agreed to come on as my business partner.
Then, I set out to get funding. After being denied a small-business loan from a local bank (this was right after the pandemic shut-down, and the outlook for restaurants was rocky), I finally found an alternative. With the funding secured, we found a recently vacated sushi restaurant in downtown Spokane, which is about 30 minutes from Coeur d'Alene, and things started coming together. In a matter of months, we customized the space, hired nearly 20 employees and got everything up and running.
Our finances were incredibly tight in those early days, so I reached out about applying for an American Express® Business Line of Credit. I’ve been an American Express Card member since 2020 (I started with the Business Green Rewards Card, and then got the Business Gold Card and now have the Business Platinum Card®, as well as an American Express® Business Checking account). Once approved, my available line of credit helped us, giving us room to breathe, and helping me continue to bring my dream to life. And when we finally opened, we decided we’d accept American Express Cards, which we have been since.
Celebrating Small Businesses
Building a new business demands a lot of work, and a lot of support. Seeing the greater Spokane community embrace us has been so gratifying. Early on, we were mostly busy on weekends, when people are looking to indulge and let loose. But it didn’t take long for our weekday lunch crowd to really pick up, and now we’re buzzing seven days a week. So much so that last year, our revenue was about 50 percent higher than projected, and this year, we’re on track to do even better than last year.
We keep a small menu, but I like to keep it interesting. In the past, we’ve served a lobster benedict that comes with an entire lobster tail. We have a French omelet served with local mushrooms that’s so labor intensive I literally have one chef who only makes French omelets all day. And then there’s our cinnamon roll flambe, which is a cinnamon roll topped with Grand Marnier and mandarin glaze, doused with aged rum and set aflame tableside, so the sugars all caramelize. It’s a showstopper in person and on social media. We also have a beverage program and sparkling wine list that rivals any restaurant I’ve been to.
Now that I’ve fallen into the groove of running my own restaurant, I’m even more excited for Small Business Saturday this year. We plan to offer guests something special as a way of showing our appreciation for spending the occasion with us. Having this day at the start of the holiday shopping season is something that helps keep independently owned places relevant and on the minds of shoppers. Small businesses have a lot to offer, and I’m so grateful to American Express for creating this holiday, as a way of looking out for the little guy.
November 30 will be a whirlwind in the best possible way. And as the day winds down, I’ll pour a glass of wine. I’ll sit down with my chef to talk about how things went and how we could improve tomorrow. And I’ll remember those days in the dish room, when I dreamed of this future.
Want to learn more about how to encourage your customers to Shop Small on Small Business Saturday? Visit the Small Business Saturday Resource Hub for marketing materials and business insights that can help you engage with your customers and find new ones. You can also read stories from other small businesses that have seen success with Small Business Saturday and beyond.
As told to Katie Morrell, American Express Business Class freelance contributor
Photos: Courtesy of Jackson Brown
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