Meet JC Ricks of Dandelion Cafe

Today we’d like to introduce you to JC Ricks.

Hi JC, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story is deeply rooted in family and my upbringing. I grew up with my mother, who was born and raised in Africa and endured significant hardships. Despite everything she faced, she greeted each day with a smile and an unwaveringly positive attitude, something that has shaped mine and my brother’s constant optimism and outlook on life. She was also the first person to bring me into the kitchen, sparking a love for food that has been with me ever since. That passion led to several early culinary business ventures, each teaching me invaluable lessons. Ultimately, those experiences paved the way for me to become a co-owner of Dandelion Café in 2018, a journey I’m incredibly proud of, as the concept has grown to three locations today.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the main challenges I continue to face as a restaurant owner is growing into the leader I aspire to be. Leadership is an ongoing learning process for me, and I’m constantly working to better understand how to develop a style that best works for me. The daily demands of the business present obstacles on many fronts, like communication, financial literacy, conflict management, time management, and organization, just to name a few. It can be overwhelming at times, but I’ve learned to overcome these challenges by actively seeking mentorship from people with far more experience than I and by embracing comfort in uncomfortable situations.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Dandelion Cafe is a breakfast/brunch concept that started as a third-wave coffee shop. We still take pride in our coffee and beverage program, as well as being one of the best places in Houston for breakfast. We are best known for our Chicken and Waffles dish that won us the best breakfast in Houston according to Good Morning America. It’s one of our newest dishes, yet still our most popular. We pride ourselves on scratch-made and well-flavored food, great customer service, and an amazing, well-thought-out coffee/beverage program. I personally take pride in our restaurant’s culture and the staff who show up day in and day out to serve our customers.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
In my youth, I was very interested in sports and hanging out with friends. Overall, I did pretty normal stuff for a teenage kid, like playing video games or card games. I also had a love for cooking at a young age and would even sell cakes and pies during the holidays, but never realized at that time that it would be my career path that I would eventually choose.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dandelionhouston.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dandelionhouston
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dandelionhouston/

Image Credits
The first six photos were taken by Becca Wright, and the last two were taken by POP Studios PR.