Grumpy’s Restaurant CEO Featured “Startup Revolution: Daniel DeLeon of Grumpy’s Restaurant On How Their Emerging Startup is Changing the Game” On Medium & Authority Magazine
An Interview With Dina Aletras
Simply put, communion is the key to success. I strive to be a great communicator and pay attention to the communicators around me and in our organization. Quality communication has been a driving factor of my success.
Startups are at the forefront of innovation, driving change across various industries with fresh ideas and cutting-edge technologies. These emerging companies are not only disrupting traditional markets but also creating new opportunities and transforming the way we live and work. What makes these startups successful, and what can we learn from their journeys? As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Daniel DeLeon.
Daniel D. DeLeon is an accomplished franchisor, restauranteur and entrepreneur with a stellar record of success. Daniel excels in franchising, start-ups, business development, management, operations and leadership. He has proudly grown six local and diverse businesses from the ground up and developed, perfected and grown Grumpy’s Restaurant to the successful fan favorite restaurant franchise brand it is today.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
When I graduated college, I had dreams of becoming an Investment Banker and took a job with Merrill Lynch as a Financial Advisor. I quickly realized my entrepreneurial mindset would drive me to want and do much more and ultimately open my own business. In 2007 I opened my first franchise business and that set the course for the rest of my professional life.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?
The most interesting story that happened to me since beginning Grumpy’s Restaurant was finding small wins during a pandemic. I was able to successfully navigate the Covid19 Pandemic while being able to keep all our employees employed and paid; all the while growing the business and expanding/adding two new franchise locations. I was able to lead and create a plan to provide for and help our employees during the pandemic; in which I gave up a portion of my salary to ensure my staff was able to keep a paycheck coming in. In addition to helping my employees, I made it a focus to support our local community as much as possible. I organized Grumpy’s sponsored produce giveaways for local community residents who could not afford groceries during the hard times. It’s important to me to give back to the community that my business is in as a dedicated and caring community member.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I first purchased Grumpy’s Restaurant, I quickly realized I was doing things a bit backwards. I was trying to create a logo and marketing content to appeal to the masses. Ultimately, I should have focused on our core values, mission and vison and worked outward from there. I learned that developing our brand the right way easily set the tone and path for all things culture and branding.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
Currently, my most exciting project is growing Grumpy’s Restaurant Franchise. Grumpy’s has become such a local staple in our community and I am focused on bringing it to new areas. We have multiple new locations in development and are already eyeing new markets for where to go next. One of the biggest components of our brand, from the very beginning, is that it is a welcoming place for everyone. We say we serve a hungry man’s portion at a working-class price; we always want to make sure that anyone can come in and enjoy our food and hospitable atmosphere. I think Grumpy’s helps people feel a part of something — our waitstaff know all of our regulars and they even have their own personal mugs. We have a local veteran group that comes in every week and we get to watch people become lifelong friends before our eyes. It’s all about community and family.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
1. Drive
My drive and determination to work harder than most and make sure things are always completed to the highest standard. I pride yourself on seeing things getting completed, taking charge and leading our team members. Having the drive and strength to see things through and never procrastinate has been instrumental to my success.
2. Integrity
Integrity should not have to be said, but it is one of the most, if not the most, important attributes you can possess as a successful leader. Integrity creates character and defines who you are. High integrity has been instrumental in my success.
3. Communication
Simply put, communion is the key to success. I strive to be a great communicator and pay attention to the communicators around me and in our organization. Quality communication has been a driving factor of my success.
Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. What was the initial inspiration behind your startup, and how did you turn that idea into a reality?
The initial inspiration behind my startup was my big love for great diner food combined with my interest in the franchise business model. I also noticed an underserved opportunity in the Breakfast Restaurant daypart. I was able to capitalize and turn my love for great diner food by developing Grumpy’s Restaurant and Grumpy’s Restaurant Franchise program.
Can you describe a significant challenge your startup faced and how your team overcame it?
A significant challenge I faced during startup was developing a diverse group of team members from different backgrounds and cultures to exemplify our company’s mission and vision. I was able to overcome this by fostering a culture of family, inclusivity and respect, actively listening and constantly communicating. I never wavered on our commitment to excellent home-style cooking, attention-to-detail, and sweet southern hospitality.
What strategies have you found most effective in scaling your startup and reaching a wider audience?
The most effective strategy to scaling our startup and widening our audience was always staying true to our mission and vision. Grumpy’s Restaurant was born out of passion and love for bringing family and friends together over great diner food. Our commitment and mission are to deliver the highest quality dining experience at an affordable price for families everywhere. Grumpy’s will never waver on our commitment to excellent home-style cooking, attention-to-detail, sweet southern hospitality and serving a hungry-person’s portion at a working-class price. All while closing at 2:00PM, providing the ultimate family, work and life balance.
How do you foster innovation within your company to stay ahead of the competition?
We foster innovation and stay ahead of our competition by: recognizing and rewarding great ideas and processes, establishing cross trained team members, providing flexible employment, promoting a culture of continuous learning and improvement, listening to our customer and team member feedback, and supporting continuous improvement initiatives.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your opinion and experience, what are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful And Innovative Startup” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)
1. Dynamic Team Members: Focus on hiring and developing your team with talented and dynamic individuals who share your same drive, integrity, mission, and vision.
2. Guest Satisfaction: Never waver on your commitment to excellence and 100% Guest Satisfaction.
3. Learn & Grow: Embrace a culture of continuous learning, growing and daily improvement through consistent daily action.
4. Adaptability: Be ready to adapt, pivot and adjust your plans, path, approach and even business model based on customer and specific market feedback.
5. Perseverance: Starting a business is very challenging and filled with a variety of obstacles and opportunities. Perseverance is what keeps you going and striving for success!
More than four out of five startups fail. What have you done to break out from that pattern, and be successful when so many others have not?
I have broken the pattern of startup failures by focusing heavily on: building dynamic teams and team members, committing to 100% guest satisfaction, continual learning, adapting fast to ever changing market and customer needs, seeking customer feedback, and holding perseverance to push through challenges while remaining committed to our company’s mission and vision.
Because of the role you play, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
If I could inspire a movement, it would be around feeding the less fortunate.
This was really meaningful! Thank you so much for your time.
For more information about the Grumpy's Restaurant Franchise opportunity, visit www.GrumpysFranchise.com or www.GrumpysRestaurantCo.com.
For more information, visit: www.GrumpysRestaurantCo.com/Grumpys-Blog
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