If anyone thinks Snuffer’s, the hamburger restaurant that has been a fixture on Greenville Avenue for more than 20 years, was an immediate success — think again.
“We opened to a rousing round of indifference,” says Pat Snuffer, who started with $40,000 (some of it borrowed), home-made tables, and self-installed grease traps in a rundown beer joint. “It took a full three years to really begin to feel like we might make it in the long run.”
Since those early days, Snuffer’s has become as much a part of Dallas as the Cowboys. There is a second store in Addison, managed by son Mike, and the restaurants are as well-known for the lines of customers waiting to get in as they are for their cheese fries.
“Snuffer’s has provided a stable, clean well-run anchor to lower Greenville for 20 years,” he says. “We attract such a cross section of customers that I think we have completely redefined the concept of a neighborhood restaurant.”
And the key to that, Snuffer explains, is simple: “We’re only as good as our last meal. The customer in the restaurant right now is our real critic.”
Why did you open this business in this particular neighborhood?
I wanted to work for myself, the area very stable, relatively crime free, close to downtown, and close to
How did you get started in the restaurant business?
My first job, at age 13, was in a neighborhood ice cream store in Houston. I waited tables in college, which allowed me to really enjoy working with people.
I had a steak house in Richardson before Snuffer’s that allowed to do what I really wanted – sell burgers and margaritas. I wanted to simplify from the full-blown steak/salad bar concept.
I would love to have five minutes alone with:
Bill Clinton. I’m curious as to how he can be so mindless in his personal decisions.
The last book I read was:
The Last Apocalypse by James Reston Jr.
My definition of “success” is:
Waking every morning excited about the coming opportunities
I never knew that owning my own business would mean:
Enjoying the freedom having your own business continually provides
The hardest part of running a business is:
Long ago over. Now, with all of the great managers we have, it’s fun.
The best advice I ever received was:
Find something in life to challenge your abilities and enthusiasm.
People I admire are:
My mom, from whom I inherited my work ethic.
My advice to anyone trying to start a business is:
Learn as much as you can from successful operators. Observe success first hand, then try it yourself. Get set for the long haul. Nothing that lasts comes easy.
