I have worked in restaurants since bussing tables at Bonanza in Green Hills. My dream has always been to have a beautiful wife, healthy children and my own thriving restaurant. I achieved that goal several years back, but found that the amount of work required to keep that business growing meant that I didn’t see my wife and children as much as I wanted. When I expressed this problem to others in the industry, everybody shook their heads in knowing acceptance. Something inside said the dream was not here yet. I wasn’t having the cake and eating it too!
So, here I am. And there are many people I need to thank for pushing me and helping me live my dream. First and foremost, my wife Coreen for letting me “sell a very profitable business and open a restaurant in the middle of a recession”. To all the craftsmen at Meyer’s Plumbing, Bolton Painting, Rusty’s AC Repair, Mark’s Electric, James Ferguson’s Enterprises, Debbie Mackall and Terry Flynn, thank you for all your great work. Finally, thank you to my men’s group and family for reminding me that I am the decider.
Our goal is great food and great service at a reasonable price. I need happy customers who will come back again and again (maybe with a friend). If you do not receive great food, great service and you do not feel after paying like you got a great deal, my dream will fail. Please, let me know what I can do to keep living my dream.
2/24/09 Doug
People are always asking “are you
living the dream?” And I always answer “Yes”. But I must say the dream has changed over the past few years. There is less about the restaurant and more about the children. Seamus and Gabriella are growing up FAST, and I want to be here less and with them more. Once I began down this new path, I loved it more than I thought possible.
I do dream that Gabby’s will become a Nashville institution like Haptowns, Rotiers or the Loveless. But today, I just want to pay my bills, get out of debt and hug my wife and children as much as possible. Simple. The way dreams ought to be.
4/30/12