On this episode of "What's Eric Eating," Dish Society founder and CEO Aaron Lyons joins food editor Eric Sandler to discuss the growth of his farm-to-table neighborhood restaurant. Since opening in Tanglewood at the beginning of 2014, the restaurant has added locations in Katy and Memorial with plans to grow to downtown and the Heights in 2018.
Purchasing local produce usually means higher prices, but Dish Society keeps things affordable. Sandler asks Lyons how he balances maintaining his bottom line with upholding the restaurant's ethos.
"That's the million dollar question. That ultimately is going to dictate our success is our ability to do that," Lyons says. "It's much harder to deal with dozens of suppliers than it is to just get a truck from Sysco three times a week like most other restaurants do. We do have a full-time supplier relations coordinator on staff, and she's responsible for maintaining those relationships with our current partners and finding new partners."
Listen to the whole interview to hear Lyons plans for the Heights, his plans to grow to other Texas cities, and some non-Dish Society concepts he would like to open in the future.
Prior to Lyons' interview, Shanna Jones and Felice Sloan from local lifestyle blog Urban Swank join Sandler to discuss the news of the week. Topics include the Cleburne Cafeteria reopening, Buffalo Bayou's plans to build a massive new brewery in Sawyer Yards, and Forbes selecting pitmaster Grant Pinkerton for its prestigious 30 under 30 list.
In the restaurants of the week segment, Sandler and Sloan discuss their meal at Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, and Sloan shares impressions from her meal at Theodore Rex.
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