We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dr. Krystal Cross. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dr. Krystal below.
Dr. Krystal, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us a bit about who your hero is and the influence they’ve had on you?
God is my Hero because he is the reason I am here. God gives me leadership and guidance with my life and business. The lessons I’ve learned from God are to not give up and that you can be unequally yoked with your business partner so be very careful when deciding to start a business with someone. God has influenced my journey by being a present help in the time of trouble. God has also brought me to my journey as a restaurant steward/owner. I like to call myself the steward of God’s business because prior to opening a restaurant I was happy with my 17 year career in education. I had been a teacher for 12 years at home in Chicago and moved to San Antonio and became an Assistant Principal. I always cooked well for my family but never had aspirations to become a restaurant owner. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would not be in the education field after earning a Doctorate in Educational Leadership in April of 2019. One day God placed on my heart to open a restaurant, then he lined everything up so I know it was God who completely influenced this journey I am on.
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.
Possessing a Ph.D. in education Krystal Cross began 2021 as an assistant principal and now she spends each day fully focused on running her first restaurant. A Chicago Bite opened in July 2021 offering Chicago-style food in the Stone Oak area of San Antonio.
The menu at A Chicago Bite features jumbo wings, Italian beef sandwiches, Chicago dogs, Vienna beef Polishes, gyros. cheeseburgers, fried catfish, and pizza puffs.
What sets A Chicago Bite apart from other places, is that here you get a bite of Chicago cuisine with authentic homemade food.
Trusted by God to steward his business Krystal Cross leads A Chicago Bite with a mission to bless San Antonio with authentic Chicago style food made with a touch of love. A Chicago Bite was created to serve people from all over San Antonio and surrounding communities to meet and enjoy our special dishes in a comfortable atmosphere. Krystal also wanted to bring a little taste of home to the many Chicagoans now residing in San Antonio!
Freshness and creativity are the key ingredients of A Chicago Bite’s many menu items. Our menu has many different delicious selections and the service is unmatched. If you’re looking for a superb experience, come visit us today!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
The journey of A Chicago Bite started with very high momentum for both the owners and the customers but with all things new they eventually die down. One of the owners who started this journey with me felt things were a bit too slow and decided we needed to have a tough conversation about when to close the doors for good. I refused to have that conversation because I believe in a higher power. I believe if God brings you to something he will also bring you through it. As times get tough in the restaurant industry being short staffed and not meeting daily quotes I have remained resilient and strong in my faith and I know things will get better.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Starting out my life/career I was in education for 17 years. I always cooked well for my family and friends. My life took a major pivot when one day I posted a picture on Facebook of some fried chicken with Chicago’s special mild sauce and my Facebook community (all who saw it) commented about me needing to open a restaurant to share my food with more people. This was a pivot for me because I knew nothing about the restaurant industry or running my own business. This was a major career change and happened so fast I barely had time to adjust to it all.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.achicagobite.com
- Instagram: @a_chicago_bite
- Facebook: A Chicago Bite
- Yelp: A Chicago Bite
- Other: TikTok – AChicagoBite