New Grill In Town

Last night, my wife and I ate at a new eatery, From The Grill, which sits in the location that has housed many other eateries across the road from Grissom High School. We enjoyed our meals, with my wife eating beef tips and me eating chicken and vegetables on skewers (i.e., "shish kebab").

Our server, Courtney, moved here about a year ago from Tampa, Florida. Slender and brown-eyed, she embued enthusiasm. If her cheerful countenance indicates the positive attitude and expectations of the owners, then I expect the restaurant to do well, having been open for about a month.

Friends of mine have owned, managed, and shut down restaurants. The eatery business is not one for the light-hearted.

What's the magic or secret to having a successful restaurant? Well, it's like everything else in business: a competitive advantage and good luck. I don't know the intentions of the owners of From The Grill. They may run the restaurant as a hobby, they may want to turn this into a franchise (this is their second location in Huntsville), or they may want to just have fun and the restaurant is their outlet for having a good time. Whatever their reason, we'll be back. There are too many menu choices not to give them a second or third opportunity to fill our bellies and make us laugh.

One suggestion before I go: I don't think you should offer a baked potato AND rice with skewered chicken. One or the other starch is fine. Maybe a cup of seasonal fruit would substitute for one or the other since the meal already comes with a small salad. And figure out some good background tunes or do something else because the restaurant decor didn't match the sports radio talk show playing on the overhead speakers that was used to hide the sounds from the kitchen. A lively kitchen can be part of the ambience, too, you know - it works at the Chef's Table and other eateries around town.