Today we’d like to introduce you to Jerry Lasco.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I moved to Houston in September of 2001 as a pilot for Continental Airlines. Just as my wife and I moved into our house, 9/11 occurred and I was soon furloughed from Continental. I had a passion for food and wine so with my wife’s support, I opened up a wine bar/wine shop named The Tasting Room. It was initially me and my sister-in-law as the only employees but we worked hard and soon built a following. Fifteen years later, the business has grown to ten restaurants and about 650 employees throughout Texas and in Colorado. It’s been an unexpected and amazing journey!
Has it been a smooth road?
Brief patches of smooth mixed with mountains and craters. We’ve grown fast and had some great luck and strong results but we’ve also had our challenges and business failures. At one point, we opened four restaurants in four months. We weren’t ready for that rate of expansion and we’ve subsequently shut down two of these. We continue to learn as we go.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Lasco Enterprises – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are a restaurant group. We started out specializing in wine and that is still a common bond in all of our different restaurants. We put a ton of focus on our creativity, culture, and our guest’s experience. I’m most proud of the great team that we have built and the positive culture that we maintain. We were the first restaurant group to win best places to work in TX and we’ve won that award many times in several different cities.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
My favorite thing about Houston is its people. Houstonians are the nicest and most sincere people in the world!
Least–summertime and lack of outdoor activities.
Contact Info:
- Website: Lascoenterprises.com
- Email: jlasco@lascoent.com
