Today we’d like to introduce you to Ara Malekian.
Hi Ara, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started working in a French restaurant in Switzerland at a very young age during school breaks. Was the corporate executive chef overseeing 82 restaurants across the USA. I had three restaurants in San Francisco and one in NY. Currently own Harlem Road Texas BBQ in Richmond, TX.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The restaurant business is anything but a smooth road. Challenges of marketing, staffing, dealing with guests (everyone is a critic). The unforeseen issues from mother nature (hurricanes, once in a century freeze, pandemic…)
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m the chef, pitmaster and operator of a BBQ restaurant.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
It’s difficult to find a good chef that is also a good operator. There are no shortcuts in the restaurant business; learn the operation site from corporate ran restaurants and the creative side from a classically trained chef. In the BBQ side, you always want to add your touch but be very careful not to go overboard. BBQ restaurant style of cooking is way different from competition BBQ.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.HarlemRoadTexasBBQ.com
- Instagram: Harlem Road Texas bbq
- Facebook: Harlem Road Texas bbq
Image Credits
Photo of me by Robert Jacob Lerma
