We recently had the chance to connect with Nichole Frazer and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Nichole, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
When I was in college I was working at a local chain restaurant. I was hired to be a cocktail server for the tables in the bar. I was enjoying it and a position opened to be a bartender. I wanted to move up but my manager told me I didn’t have what it takes to be a bartender. I have worked as a craft cocktail bartender for almost 10 years now. My husband and I opened our first restaurant over three years ago and we get so busy that the kids have to come to work and end up being the barbacks. When it gets really busy my youngest child always says to me, “you don’t have what it takes, Mom.” We laugh through the exhaustion of the shift and I smile as I show him that you can do ANYTHING you put your mind to, even when someone else tells you that you can’t.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi! My name is NICHOLE FRAZER. 14 years ago I met a chef while working as a server in a wine bar. We married and have now opened our own restaurant. It was his dream to open a restaurant in the city he lives in to be able to plug in and give back to the community. I was going to let this be his thing. I had a job I enjoyed; running a bar program at a restaurant in a nearby town, working part time, making good tips. We had two kids and a mortgage and I would say I am NOT a risk taker. I didn’t want all of our eggs in one basket. As we began to prepare for this venture he looked at me and said, “I don’t think I could do it without you. Who would I get to run the front of the house? Who could I trust to do the bar program?” I immediately realized he was right. We couldn’t afford to do this and not both go all in. We both had unique skills sets that complemented each other perfectly for what he wanted to do. So we both quit our W2 jobs and opened our own restaurant!
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My dad. This man is so smart. When he speaks, which isn’t all that often, you listen (you’re also quiet when the weather comes on the news at quarter after 6pm). I think he taught me a lot without even speaking. He did what needed done and didn’t let anything stop him. Quietly he instilled that in me. After earning my bachelor’s degree in fine art I bought a house. A little old farmhouse that was about 80 years old that a city had built up around. My mom wasn’t thrilled. Her father was a home builder and they always had a new home. My dad didn’t comment. He just showed up. The wood trim was all starting to rot and he just showed up. He had a full workshop in the bed of the gold pickup truck and we climbed ladders and marked and cut rough sawn cedar to fit into the uneven channels between some newer aluminum siding and the original roof. He didn’t spend time doubting if we could do it, we just did it. That day he showed me, “you can do anything.” He didn’t say it, he never has, but he shows me, silently, daily. From that day forward I have let nothing stop me, nothing slow me down. I replaced windows on the second story alone. I have cut down walls to open up stairways, built decks, and now a restaurant. He has been beside me every day, every project, silently telling me I can do it.
Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
Sunsets. I miss seeing sunsets. Not just seeing them but watching them. Sunsets happen at dinner time. Our restaurant is in the basement of a historic building, no natural light, no windows. Sometimes I get jealous of people with a regular work schedule. People who are done with work at 5pm. People who have the rest of the evening to relax when I’ve already put in 7 hours of work and the busy part of my day hasn’t even begun. I eat dinner at 11pm long after the sun has went down, 13 hours after my day began, adrenaline still coursing through my veins. I don’t get to eat dinner on a patio or at a restaurant, sometimes I don’t even eat sitting down. On days off we are focused on the kids, and chores, cleaning the house, grocery shopping; things people have time to do “after work.” Those days we are so busy getting things done that the sun is set before we stop to relax.
Sunrises? I see far too many sunrises.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The restaurant industry makes you believe you’re successful if you’re busy= all the time, all the seats, multiple turns each service. I have learned that you have to redefine that idea of success. I felt like a failure when we opened and served amazing food and had great service and were not busy all the time, all day long. By then end of our first calendar year I had learned that being successful means you paid your bills, you paid your employees, and the people that did come, when they came, had delicious food and excellent service.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
When you walk into a small business and the owner is there – you are getting a good value. It doesn’t matter what industry it is, if the owner is present you are not paying some manager’s salary along with your purchase. Do you see a billboard for small businesses? Not often, if you do, the customer is the one paying for that. It costs thousands of dollars a month for a freeway billboard. Where does that money come from? It comes from the consumer’s pocket. The item you are purchasing must be marked up high enough to pay for it. Look around you when you’re out. What you see is what you get. We work positions within our business to keep our costs down. It means we spend our money on the things that really matter; employees and quality ingredients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blackroosterbistro.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/black_rooster_hudson/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackroosterbistro/
