We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Scott Hoffner a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Scott, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

Coming up with the name for Didi’s Downtown was easy. My mother’s name was Diane and very suddenly passed away. When my opportunity arose to open my own place, it just seemed like the likely fit to name it Didi’s, which was my mother’s nickname. We chose “Downtown” because we are in the heart of the original Downtown Frisco, Texas.

Scott, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Owner and Chef, Scott Hoffner, has been in the business more than 30 years and is committed to the Frisco community where he and his wife are raising their two little Didi’s.

Scott began his career in the restaurant business washing dishes at the age of 9 in Plano, TX. His love for food and cooking were fostered by his mother (Didi) during his youth and he was working the line by his early teens. His passion took him to Providence, RI where he earned a degree in Culinary Science and Hospitality Marketing at the esteemed Johnson and Wales University.

Scott’s love of adventure led him to Southern California where he became Chef de’ Cuisine of the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa. He was then recruited by an independent restaurant, Pangea, where he was able to focus on his dishes and create strong relationships with his customers. After the birth of his first daughter, he decided to move his family from sunny California to Colorado and then on to Montana to find the right “spot” to settle down.

He realized home is where the heart is, and his heart is here in Texas. Upon moving back to Texas, Scott worked as the Executive Chef at Agave Bar and Grill and then accepted a position as the personal chef for a local professional athlete. Scott went on to help open, as Executive Chef and General Manager, one of Dallas’s premier seafood restaurants on Oak Lawn. From there, Scott took on the Executive Chef position at J. Macklin’s Grill in Coppell, TX. Most recently, he has served as private chef to NBA and NFL players in the DFW metroplex.

Scott Hoffner is tapped into Texas. Born and raised here with extensive history in multiple restaurants, he is able to handpick his staff to provide the best hospitality and top-notch cuisine. Training staff and making sure that patrons have positive memorable experiences is a priority.

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

When COVID hit, and before there were any PPP loans, I was sitting at my desk crying and wondering what I was going to do with my business. The restaurant had finally started to set sail and the lack of understanding of COVID and the rules to follow were unknown. What moves to make and how to keep everyone safe as well as trying to keep your employees fed is what seemed like an unsurmountable task. It was then, sitting at my desk & reading through Facebook that I saw a post that said Shakespeare wrote King Lear during the bubonic plague. IT was then & there with that one sentence that I realize I would write my King Lear, but in a different way and that is when I decided to make my plan of action, which was different than most and changed the trajectory of my business.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

It was the worst winter Texas had seen in many years – the streets were flooded with snow and the roads were closed. In fear of my pipes at the restaurant bursting, I strapped on my trusty ski boots and snow skis and proceeded to ski to work. Hoping that the water and the lights were on and that we would be able to warm up some bellies with some delicious hot food. In the process, we made a little video of me skiing down the street. We posted that little video, and unbeknownst to me, we received thousands of views. To this day, at least once a month, people joke around and ask if I’m skiing to work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.didisdowntown.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/didisdowtown
• Facebook: facebook.com/didisdowntown