By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
The Golden Griddle, 230 W. Ninth, has been open for three weeks and has already been a hit with locals, but what makes the new breakfast establishment stand out is not its food or service, but rather the family attitude that permeates through the staff.
For Hays residents, this attitude should be familiar, as the Griddle is an offshoot of the popular Golden Q bar and grill.
The goal of the Griddle is to be a “nice local restaurant that people can bring their families into,” said Brady Herman, general manager of the Q and the Griddle.
“We consider everybody here at the Q a little family and we do the same over there,” he said. “We want everyone to enjoy their experience that comes in, we also want our help and (wait staff) to have a good experience as well.”
When it comes down to it, Herman said the restaurant serves the public, and the staff has a goal to make a community establishment.
“It’s a win-win for everybody,” he said.
So far, business has been good for the new restaurant, but Herman said it can do better, with the last few weeks serving as a learning experience. The Griddle is Herman’s first with a full wait staff — meaning he is learning as business picks up, as well.
“I’ve gotten a lot of advice and a lot of pointers in the last two, three weeks,” he said, coming from the hiring of seasoned staff. “Luckily, we’ve had a really good front of house staff hired with some experience.”
Despite the ups and downs of opening any new restaurant, Herman said the last weeks have been going well — but living up to expectations set by the Golden Q isn’t easy.
“We’re gaining every week,” he said. “The hardest part I think is just getting everyone on the same page as far as cooking, learning the items, cooking the same way.”
Part of that process is making sure diners receive meals “as fresh as it can possibly be when it goes out.”
Even with the Griddle being part of the legacy of the Q in Hays, they are generally ran independently.
“We kept it separate,” Herman said. “Everyone started fresh, and I feel like we have a really good staff over (at the Q) now. Especially with school starting … I didn’t want to jeopardize that at all.”
And it shows. It’s hard to find a time when the Q isn’t busy. And if the Griddle experiences the same kind of popular support from the community, it is likely to succeed.
“We just rely on word of mouth. We obviously do a little bit of advertising, but we don’t feel like we need to force it a whole lot,” Herman said. “If we put out good food and give everyone a good experience, then that should generate the same thing as far as somebody asking where a good breakfast place is.”
The Griddle is open 6 to 11 a.m. daily, with hours until 1 p.m. Sundays.