Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to MG & Jon Stevens. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, MG & Jon thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
We knocked around so many different possibilities when choosing the name for our restaurant. Ultimately, we obviously landed on the name Stock & Barrel. We really liked the play on “Stock” for the food side and “Barrel” for the beverage side. In addition, Stock & Barrel is part of the term “Lock, Stock & Barrel”, which refers to owning someone outright and “completeness”. The name also fit into our visual aesthetic for space, logo and overall branding. It’s a strong name and felt solid! We really like the name, still…as we approach 11 years in business!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Jon started in the restaurant industry at the age of 19. He started by working in his uncle’s restaurant in San Francisco. He worked in some big kitchens, including the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco before coming to Dallas (over 20 years ago). MG has always been in sales and marketing in the healthcare world. Together, they opened Stock & Barrel in the Bishop Arts District In Oak Cliff in Dallas, Texas in May 2014. Our restaurant serves Modern American Cuisine with global influences, many times inspired by our travels. We saw the opportunity in a growing area in Dallas and love the diversity of the area. The neighborhood embraces family and small businesses. Our goal has always been to provide dishes that are familiar and approachable but present them with a creative interpretation. Stock & Barrel is designed to be a place to dine for every day, but also a place you want to spend special occasion dinners too. We are most proud of our amazing team, some of whom have been with us since day 1 (again, we opened almost 11 years ago). The relationships created with the community, other business owners in Bishop Arts and Oak Cliff, and our guests is the true reward. Being a business owner is a 24/7 job for sure, but we love what we do!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Surviving the pandemic was a true test of resilience! Obviously, when we were not able to serve anyone inside the restaurant, like many places, we had to get creative. We designed family style meal options during the pandemic shut down. We choose to stay open (with to-go options) in order to keep our business going but also because there was a need/want in our community for comfort food that was familiar! Our regulars that dine each week, continued to pick up food to support us during Covid. It was a challenging chapter, but also amazing teamwork! In addition, the love that we felt from the neighborhood’s support was incredible. Coming out of the pandemic, we felt more connection to one another and our community. It is true that good things can come out of “bad” situations!
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
Our best advice for managing a team and maintaining high morale? To us, it’s key to lead by example. We don’t ask our team to do anything that we don’t do ourselves. If a toilet needs unclogged, something needs mopped, dished need cleaned, whatever the task, we will step in and do it! Your team will certainly respect you much more when they see you doing the things that you are asking of them. We all pitch in and help one another. We are also big believers in hearing the good, not just the bad. Sure, we all need some feedback or constructive criticism sometimes, as it helps us improve. However, we encourage and promote a work culture of giving lots of praise and pats on the back for all the good things too!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stockandbarreldallas.com
- Instagram: @stockbarreltx
