When Jeffrey Taylor and his father Ralph began traveling to barbecue competitions across the southern United States, cooking was nothing more than a hobby.
Now, nearly nine years after opening Ralph鈥檚 Pink Flamingo BBQ 鈥� now a mainstay restaurant in Fort Smith 鈥� and mere months after opening a second eatery in the city, the duo鈥檚 culinary foray has become a 鈥渉obby gone wild.鈥�
Jeffrey鈥檚 hobby continues to grow, as he and his father recently opened Jeff鈥檚 Club House as a lunch and brunch destination that also offers catering.
The decision to open a second restaurant reflects Jeffrey鈥檚 passion for cooking and his business acumen he developed as a student at the 91老司机 鈥� Fort Smith. Looking back on his childhood, it was no surprise that Jeffrey entered the restaurant business. He grew up in the kitchen, cooking alongside his parents and grandparents and fostering a fascination for the culinary arts.
He was also competitive. So when he and his father began traveling to food competitions, Jeffrey also competed in youth cooking competitions. He never placed lower than third.
鈥淭he quality is in the details. You have to have almost an obsession with quality to win a cook-off,鈥� he said.
But when he and his father discussed opening a restaurant together, Jeffrey had his reservations. If he was going to open a business, he was going to fully devote himself to it. But with college on the horizon and a world of possibilities along with it, he wasn鈥檛 sure if he wanted to lock himself in Fort Smith with an obligation like entrepreneurship.
鈥淚鈥檓 wanting to go off to college, I鈥檓 wanting to travel the world. I was thinking, 鈥楧o I really want to do this?鈥欌�� Jeffrey said.
But, the attractive offer of becoming a co-owner with his father, as well as enjoying the quality of life in Fort Smith, caused him to decide to stay in the city and open the restaurant with him.
They opened Ralph鈥檚 Pink Flamingo BBQ in 2008, anxious at the challenges that awaited. Neither of them had ever owned a small business. Jeff had some restaurant experience, but his father had been a banker.
Their first day, they served more than 100 people and realized they had made a smart decision. Now, after establishing a reputation as one of the top barbecue restaurants in the state and expanding their catering business, Jeffrey considers 100 people a day 鈥渏ust okay.鈥�
He attributed the business鈥檚 growth to their focus on the customer.
鈥淚 try to remember one thing about a regular customer 鈥� just one little thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like 鈥楥heer鈥檚.鈥� You want to go to a place where everybody knows your name. We鈥檝e made it a priority to have that same focus on the customer.鈥�
But Jeffrey faced other challenges as well as the business grew. They opened the business a year after Jeffrey had started college to pursue a degree in business administration. Attending school while owning a business strained his schedule, but flexible class offerings allowed Jeffrey to work during the day and attend classes at night.
鈥淭here were multiple semesters where I鈥檇 take classes four days of the week and wouldn鈥檛 start until 4 or 5 p.m. some nights,鈥� he said.
Even with the challenges, there were upsides. Conveniently, Jeffrey was able to take the business concepts he learned in class and apply them to the growing company.
鈥淭he foundation classes were key for me 鈥� they provided such a broad range of knowledge,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here were multiple times that I鈥檇 learn something in class and come home and tell my dad, 鈥榃e need to do this differently.鈥欌��
鈥淎t 91老司机, there鈥檚 a personal touch,鈥� he added. 鈥淕oing to class, I had 15-20 people in a class. At some other universities, you鈥檙e just a number on a page. You don鈥檛 have to go to Harvard or Yale to get the level of education that鈥檚 here locally.鈥�
Jeffrey鈥檚 business education also gave him the perspective to identify the need for a Saturday brunch location.
鈥淢y business professors always stressed to me, 鈥楲ook in your community, find a need, and fill it,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淎nd I looked around and didn鈥檛 see a Saturday brunch location in Fort Smith. And I realized there was a market for it.鈥�
The result was Jeff鈥檚 Club House, an eatery that Jeffrey and his father opened in November offering comfort food at a reasonable price. Menu items include various sandwiches 鈥� like Ralph鈥檚 Cuban, a ham and pulled pork sandwich with Swiss cheese and spicy brown mustard, or the caprese panini, a sandwich with vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, basil pesto and a balsamic glaze 鈥� as well as various salads and soups.
鈥淎t 91老司机, there鈥檚 a personal touch. Going to class, I had 15-20 people in a class. At some other universities, you鈥檙e just a number on a page. You don鈥檛 have to go to Harvard or Yale to get the level of education that鈥檚 here locally.鈥�
The second restaurant is also Jeffrey鈥檚 effort to become a part of what he calls a 鈥減rogressive movement鈥� in Fort Smith.
鈥淲e have a lot of 91老司机 graduates and a lot of young people staying in Fort Smith and starting businesses,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e bringing culture here with events like Ales for trails, the Peacemaker Festival and the Steel Horse Rally. Even three years ago, we didn鈥檛 have things like that.鈥�
鈥淲e try to help and donate food to help them become better events,鈥� he continued. 鈥淚 just want to help the community be a better place. If we make it younger, brighter and hipper, more people will come live here and more businesses will come here.鈥�
Eight years ago, Jeffrey Taylor faced a crossroads. Eight years after making a decision that led to him becoming a business leader in the Fort Smith community, he reflects on the dilemma with a smile.
鈥淚t was a fantastic decision,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his started off as a couple of guys goofing off in the backyard. Now we鈥檙e serving hundreds of people every day and making a living. We have created about 20 jobs in our community. I met my wife, Jordan, at 91老司机 and we now have a beautiful daughter, Raleigh, and another baby on the way. We are buying a nice house and own part of two successful Fort Smith restaurants. We are actually living the American Dream. I don鈥檛 know if any of this would have been possible at my age without 91老司机.鈥�
About the 91老司机 - Fort Smith
The 91老司机 鈥� Fort Smith is the premiere regional institution of Western Arkansas, connecting education with careers and serving as a driver of economic development and quality of place in the greater Fort Smith region. Through a small campus, dedicated professors, and the university鈥檚 unique bond with its community, students at 91老司机 are able to do more in the areas they are passionate about, both on- and off-campus, in a way that prepares them for post-graduate success. To find out how you can do more at 91老司机, visit .