On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” restaurateur Larry McGuire joins CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss MML Hospitality. Known locally for Clark’s Oyster Bar, MML is an Austin-based company that operates restaurants in California, Texas, and Colorado as well as the Hotel Saint Vincent in New Orleans.
The conversation begins with McGuire sharing his path from being a University of Texas student who worked in restaurants to opening his first two restaurants with his business partner Tom Moorman, Lamberts Downtown Barbecue in 2006 and Perla’s Seafood & Oyster Bar in 2009. Their portfolio ranges from Swedish Hill, a casual bakery and cafe, to fine dining institution Jeffrey’s. Sandler asks McGuire about whether there are any commonalities between such varied concepts.
“As someone who’s been doing it for a long time now, I hope the quality and consistency in service and food, the atmosphere will be good. For restaurants to last, we’ve got a 20 year old and an 18 year old, I think there’s a level of caring and attention to detail,” McGuire says.
“What we’re more excited about and more invested in is the quality of our operations, the quality of our facilities, the quality of our team members. That culture is something we’re building that makes things last. We always wanted to build institutions. As we get deeper into it, hopefully they feel like they’re going to be there. Our employees enjoy being there. I hope that’s what we’re building. The other details we’re known for, but I don’t think they’re that special any more.”
Listen to the full conversation to hear McGuire discuss the decision to bring Clark’s to Houston and how the company decided on its location in a former auto repair shop. He also shares thoughts on which MML concepts might be next for the Bayou City as well as the status of MML’s Sixth&Blanco mixed-use development that’s currently under construction.
On this week’s other episode, Sandler and Felice Sloan discuss the news of the week. First, they recap last week’s date night draft episode. Then, they discuss the recent closure of Japanese restaurant Money Cat and conclude with a conversation about chef Tristen Epps’ Black History Month dinner pop-up series.
In the restaurant of the week segment, Sandler and Sloan review their meal at Mexican Sugar, the new Montrose restaurant from Dallas-based restaurant group FB Society. Overall, their impressions are positive, particularly the lively atmosphere and polished service, but they did find a couple of dishes they probably won’t order again. They episode concludes with a discussion of the duo’s recent meal at Killen’s Steakhouse in Pearland, where they found chef Ronnie Killen has made a number of upgrades to return the restaurant to its previous level of esteem.
