Daily Inspiration: Meet Al Thomas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Al Thomas. He  shared his story with us below:

 

When Al Thomas was 13 years old he asked his father, the late Houston Thomas, if he could work at Sperry’s Restaurant. His father’s reply to his son was that he would have to wait until he was 14.

In the meantime, the industrious Thomas went to work down the street at Varallo’s BBQ and Bay Seafood. “I also stocked the coolers at the Hot Stop Market next door to Varallo’s,” says Thomas. “I guess I wasn’t going to let my father hold me back” Thomas adds defiantly. The next summer, the youngster turned 14 and started at Sperry’s in the position of daytime cleanup. “I washed the leftover dishes, vacuumed the restaurant, and cleaned the restrooms”. Al says he worked hard enough to be put on a salary because he finished the job so fast. Eventually, he moved up to dishwasher and then busboy.

Fast-forward 48 years and Al Thomas has come a long way in the restaurant business. After working in restaurants all over the country and receiving a degree in Hotel Restaurant Management, he has learned a lot about a business that is considered one of the toughest. When asked what aspect of his long resume’ taught him the most about the business, Al responds, “working for poorly run restaurants taught me what not to do, and then working for some very well-run restaurants counteracted the bad experiences and pulled everything together for me.” “There are so many facets to the restaurant business that have to come together to survive,” adds Thomas, “and being able to buy a successful concept like Sperry’s from my father 22 years ago got me off to a good start.”

Currently, Al and his wife Trish own the Sperry’s in Belle Meade while Al and his business partner, Sam Sanchez, co-own the Sperry’s in Cool Springs plus six other Sam’s locations. “Sam and I work together very well and have similar restaurant backgrounds,” says Thomas. “We counteract each other and that seems to work very well in the competitive restaurant world here in Nashville.”

When asked about future restaurant plans, Al responds, “we bought the closed Shoney’s building in Bellevue and are launching three different concepts in the 6000 square foot location. We initially bought the building to open our new e-commerce business Sperrysmeats.com, however, the building’s A+ location led us to develop a second Sperry’s Mercantile and a new concept, Café’ Sperry’s, which will be the first drive-through coffee concept in Bellevue.” Thomas hired Rusty Pierce from Texas to head up the mail-order business, while Rusty’s wife, Tiffany, will head up the coffee shop.

Al’s daughter Cate Buchanon who already runs the Sperry’s Mercantile in Belle Meade, will run the new Mercantile. “The whole thing evolved unexpectedly when we found the location just around the corner from our home that had been for sale since 2016 and then found out that Rusty’s wife used to run a major coffee shop chain in Texas,” adds Thomas. “It was the perfect setup,” adds Cate. The new Hillwood? High School recently opened just down the road with 1100 students and the team feels that the new Café’ Sperry’s concept will be very popular with the students and faculty.

Sperry’s Restaurant in Belle Meade will be 50 years old in March 2024, which is a testament to its consistent service, food, and unique atmosphere. Sperry’s Belle Meade opens at 4:00 pm seven days a week while Sperry’s Cool Springs is also open for lunch and Sunday Brunch. Sperry’s features grain-fed USDA Top-Choice steaks and fresh seafood in an old English steakhouse atmosphere. Diners can go to Sperrys.com for reservations and restaurant information.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The restaurant business is tough. Maintaining a consistent quality product is the main challenge in this business. The goal is to have guests return year after year because they know what to expect. We have been very fortunate at Sperry’s to have multiple long-term employees who have helped with that goal. There is no doubt that Covid had a profound effect on staffing, however, we have been able to maintain that quality and consistency even after Covid.

Our current obstacle, besides staffing, is supply chain issues. Covid rewrote almost every business model for our suppliers. We have worked hard to overcome those obstacles and feel that we have settled into a comfortable place. Our year-over-year sales are excellent and a testament to meeting those challenges head-on.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have been in the hospitality business for 48 years. I tell friends that if you cut me, I bleed Au jus. I started at Sperry’s when I was 14 cleaning the restaurant daily, then moved up to dishwasher and then busboy. I have been true to this business since day one and have always had the goal of owning Sperry’s. College included a short run at UT Knoxville before transferring to Denver University where I got my degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management in 1984.

Coming out of college, I was recruited by Houston’s Restaurant which set the stage for the restaurant philosophies and principles that have guided me throughout my career. I am proud to own and operate Sperry’s. I had a great start from my parents with Sperry’s and have been fortunate to maintain the Sperry’s standards for the past 23 years.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting.
Starting to me means washing dishes and busing tables, followed by the rest of the positions in the restaurant. I have talked many people out of getting into the restaurant business without any prior experience. They say the best way to earn a million dollars in this business is to start with two million and get out after you have lost one million. Most people say they will just hire someone to run the restaurant. I am quick to explain that if you can’t go in and lead and direct that manager, then you are setting yourself up for a disaster. Just like any business, experience is most important.

As with anybody who gets into this business, I wish I knew about the long hours and hard work required. My early years included 70-plus hour weeks, and when the dust settled, 60 hours was not uncommon. Weekends don’t exist. And that’s working for somebody else. It’s even worse when you own your restaurant. Somehow, my wonderful wife stuck with me throughout all of those long hours. We moved 17 times during our first 10 years of marriage. I didn’t get to know my first daughter until she was ten years old. I’m very lucky now to have very good managers running things for me which has reduced my workload significantly, however, my knees are shot.