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In this episode of The Bottom Line, Naki sits down with Brooks Bassler, founder of BB’s Tex-Orleans, to unpack the origin story and explosive growth of one of Houston’s most beloved restaurant brands. Brooks shares how his Southern roots and experiences in the restaurant industry inspired him to launch the first location with no menu, just a drive to build something unique for late-night Cajun-style dining with a Texas twist.

Brooks shares the early days of risking it all, opening too many locations too fast, and the lessons behind the stores that succeeded and the one that had to close. He shares his expectations and philosophy behind hiring the right people and how if you want an A grade process then you need A grade operators. This episode is a playbook for anyone building a business from the ground up—without losing their soul in the process.

🔗 Brooks Bassler’s Links:

Website: https://bbstexorleans.com
Instagram: BB's Tex-Orleans (@bbstexorleans) • Instagram photos and videos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooks-bassler-37a49410/

💡 What You’ll Learn
- The key mindset shift that helped Brooks scale beyond one location
- Remember to listen to what the customers want
- Why keeping the books tight in the early days mattered
- Dangers of growing too quickly (5 locations in 15 months)
- Impact of top level operators if you want top level results
- Why your staff needs an “Ownership Mentality”
- The role of personal accountability in business success

💬 Key Quotes
“I didn’t know how to do it, but I knew I’d figure it out.”
“We’re the best late-night dining restaurant in the city. I don’t care what anybody says.”
“If your GM’s a B player, you got a B training program.”
“You can have all the systems and procedures and blah blah blah—but if your GM is not a player, your training is going to suck.”
“Ownership mentality is one of our core values.”

YouTube Chapters
00:00 – Intro & Meet Brooks Bassler
01:20 – Humble Beginnings to First Location
05:04 – Give the Customer What They Want (Crawfish Story)
06:57 – Menu And A+ Locations
09:43 – Breaking Past The Bottle Neck
13:16 – Ownership Mentality and Hiring High Skilled Operators
20:31 – The Right Structure Requires the Right GM
26:16 – ROI on the Right Operator
29:39 – What Prevents Raising Prices on Operators and Overhead
33:10 – Hidden Costs of Restaurant Management
35:10 – Developing A Sales Forecast

Welcome to The Bottom Line – the real talk podcast about restaurant profit and growth. Each episode, we explore the decisions, systems, and stories behind the most successful food businesses out there in the market. No fluff. No hype. Just real operators, real challenges, and real advice from people who know how to get results. Let's get to The Bottom Line.

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Connect with Naki on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ufuksoyturk/