Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Bille.
Hi Thomas, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I started cooking professionally in 2007. Prior to this, I had always cooked at home since I was a kid. My parents made sure I knew how to cook for myself. I went through various restaurants in Los Angeles to get my start, most notably The Ritz-Carlton for 5 years, where I held a banquet sous chef title and later on a Chef de Cuisine title for the restaurant Ford’s Filling Station. After my tenure at The Ritz, I moved onto to Otium to work under Chef Timothy Hollingsworth as a sous chef for the opening team; I later was promoted to Executive Sous Chef. My family and I moved to Spring, TX, in late 2018. I worked for a couple of restaurant groups here in Houston, TX, to get a feel of the land. I made the leap of faith to open my own restaurant in 2019 and secured a lease in Old Town Spring. We were met with challenges of a global pandemic, shutdowns, winter freezes, and still by the grace of God were able to garner recognition. My wife and I decided to not renew our lease to be able to find a bigger more commercial space. (the location was an old home with a lot of problems, no a.c. in the kitchen, and landlord unwilling to fix any of them but raising the rent) We took a 2-year hiatus. In those 2 years, I opened Chivos as an Executive Chef and did my year there. I decided it was time to reopen Belly of the Beast and continued to look for a location, all the meanwhile doing pop-ups, festivals, collaboration dinners, and some catering. In May 2023, we found our space on FM2920 rd. and opened on November 2nd.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The journey is never smooth. I always liked the quote ” calm waters never made a skilled sailor.” My career has been met with many challenges, but all those problems helped me become resourceful.
For this particular project, we were met with many challenges. The previous tenants did a lot of unpermitted work, and we had to fix the problems, which not only cost us money not in our budget but time; Lots of time. We planned on opening in August and were delayed until November. We are self-funded; we do not have any investors. It is all my wife and I doing our best to provide for our family and chase the American dream.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My experiences, travels, and upbringing have molded my style to be unique to my own self. I have been blessed to be able to work with many talented chefs, and from them, I have learned techniques that I have put into my own repertoire. I cook with the seasons and use Mexican ingredients in a global manner. Currently, on our menu, we prepare a “saag paneer” It’s a take on the Indian dish but more tongue and cheek. We sear asadero cheese lay it on top of a spinach mole verde, and serve it with our 50/50 tortillas (half flour / half corn tortillas). Ultimately, we try to set ourselves apart by not doing what everyone else is doing. Our food is unique in the manner that most of our dishes you can’t find anywhere else. I am extremely proud of my wife to come on this journey full-time and help us grow this concept. We have plans to open a taqueria in the near future and continue growing the brand.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My advice is if you don’t have a mentor, learn by observing others in your field. Throw yourself out there, meet people, and eat at new restaurants. See what others are doing; it might spark some creative juices. What has worked best for me is diving in fully into my craft, Reading about the greats, and coming in early, staying behind after. Just absorbing all the knowledge I could.
Contact Info:
- Website: botbfood.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/botbfood/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/botbfood
