Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Aaron Muller. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Aaron, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

It was 2 weeks before my 40th birthday. With the coaxing of my partner, I met with my doctor and found out shortly after I had Celiac Disease. Initially, I thought to myself, “going gluten-free won’t be that bad” however the next few months after my diagnoses, it became very clear this wasn’t just a casual change.

Even after replacing our toaster, oven, and pans, making our house gluten-free I was still getting sick. Very sick, so we began investigating. Being sick for months and months, depression set in hard as the realization of what my future looked like. Dog food, toothpaste, medication, and so many other things I never thought of, all contained gluten.

During that time, a very low point in my life, we would try to go out and eat as a family. I have 4 fantastic children, and I really wanted to get out of the house and have a nice meal. That proved to be highly problematic and the experience at 99% of the restaurants we tried was the same. Talk to the server, and let them know I’m gluten-free and I need special care taken with my food. The same problems every time, server didn’t communicate to the kitchen, or the kitchen wasn’t able to accommodate. At this point is when food began to take on a different meaning. A darker meaning.

I talked with my partner, exasperated, and brainstormed ways we could turn this around. After spending years in sales I realized this was a completely ignored demographic, and I can’t be alone. Celiac Disease is hereditary, and therefore is likely to be passed onto my children. And my inability to eat out ever again was something my children, and anyone else facing similar issues, should not have to experience in the greatest country in the world.

But what to do about it?

I enrolled at our local community college, in their culinary arts program, and began the journey of creating Papa Chops Eatery.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Celiac Disease is a condition where the body attacks gluten as it moves down the digestive tract. It is an autoimmune disease and is very serious.

Celiac Disease is not a new disease, although it may seem like it. It carries with it a host of different issues that develop as a result of the body damaging itself.

The only known effective treatment is a life long gluten-free diet. Knowing this, I was armed with the most important information I needed to begin. Do I wait until someone hopefully creates a solution, or do I change my destiny and do it myself?

Papa Chops Eatery was created, and something magical happened. With the help of a strong community, individuals that care, and a family that was willing to support me we have successfully built a business that employes over a dozen people, and feeds thousands. Children that have never sat with their family to eat without worrying about their food, adults that haven’t had onion rings in 10 years, and most importantly giving back to those what they lost. Food is just a requirement, it is a mood, it is reassurance after a bad day, it is joy when you all gather around to celebrate.

Papa Chops Eatery is a Celiac safe restaurant that is also 100% nut free. With amazing Vegan options, allergy friendly food, and eco-friendly packaging we have created a better fast service restaurant. Want a burger and fries, we have those. Pizza with fresh ingredients and sauce made in house. Salads, wraps, and so much more are all made by hand and sourced locally.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Early in the planning stages of creating, what was then Fernies and now Papa Chops, I met with many banks for financing. Every bank I met with asked for the same thing, comparable P&L statements. I would go back and forth with the banks trying to provide them with whatever information I could provide but Papa Chops isn’t a Wendy’s. My labor is much higher as I make everything from scratch, and my margins are much lower as gluten-free is much more expensive than food containing gluten, such as buns.

The banks wouldn’t loan me what I needed, the state and federal programs in place for new businesses target woman-owned or minorities, and I didn’t qualify for those. The pandemic was still in full swing and uncertainty was rampant. I had limited assets I could use, like my retirement account, my car, and my house. My retirement and car wouldn’t provide enough money to open Papa Chops so I began the process of selling my family’s home. The housing market was crazy so I couldn’t find a home we could afford, so myself and my 4 children and pets moved into an AirBnB and I openened the restaurant.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Being honest with our customers is something crucial. PC needs to be as transparent as possible to separate itself from it’s competitors. Customers don’t like bait and switch tactics, so keeping an open line of communication is very important. Although I can’t always answer every email, I make it a priority to take even the smallest requests seriously.

Showing our struggles and being honest about what we can and can’t do is something most marketing firms would suggest you not do. But given the current climate of our country, I want people to trust they will always be respected and listened to.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.papachops.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/papachopseatery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glutenfreefeelsgood