Today we’d like to introduce you to Pete & Jennifer Simpson.
Hi Pete & Jennifer, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Absolutely. Our concept was born out of the idea that our town needed an elevated lounge experience that served high quality wine and beer (and now craft cocktails) in a beautifully curated space. We were able to find an underutilized building in our historic downtown that was ripe for a transformation, and we opened our doors in November 2021.
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?
Of course there were struggles! Opening any new business has its challenges. The biggest challenge was getting together the best staff possible in a competitive hiring environment. However, through great pay and relying on relationship building in our town, we can definitely say our team is our best asset. By creating a really fun and dynamic lounge, it always keeps things interesting for our staff and patrons.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We (Pete and Jennifer – the owners) have a varied professional career separate from Floyd’s. It has brought a unique perspective to operating a restaurant and lounge for sure. Jennifer is a sales executive for a national electricity supplier in Houston and has been very successful in those endeavors. She pulls from her marketing and business acumen, her relationships, and her incredible attention to detail. This type of thinking lends to creative events, as well as food and drink offerings being new and different every 2-3 months at Floyd’s. She’s never afraid of changing things up.
Pete is a landscape architect and co-owner of a boutique design firm based in Houston. With Jennifer’s ideas for a curated environment and Pete’s ability to execute design and construction, that experience has helped turn Jennifer’s vision into reality. Also, running a successful small business has given the duo a good perspective on the “nuts and bolts” of keeping the bar running at a high level.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
We have lots of people that have helped our vision come to reality. However, we have to mention our lounge’s namesake: Floyd. He was (and still is) our best friend. Floyd was our flamboyant, accessory-loving white Labrador retriever who loved people, beer, and wearing sunglasses. He passed over the rainbow bridge in the fall of 2022, and we dearly miss him. But his legacy lives on!
Ok, back to people… We have been fortunate to have many great staff members who are industry vets from our town that have really helped us with operating and setting up a successful bar and restaurant. Lauren Lucero, Austin Brzozowski, and Jessie Baldwin have been great managers and leaders throughout the last year and a half. Also, our other key staff members have really been “rockstars” for us. Haley Andrejczak and Bryan Alewine really help keep the lounge running smooth.
Last but not least, our community by and large has been so supportive, and we can’t thank them enough.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.floydslounge.net
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/floydswinelounge
- Twitter: https://www.instagram.com/floydswinelounge
Image Credits
Kayci Zinkgraf
Natalie Lange
