Today we’d like to introduce you to John Simmons.
Hi John, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I landed my first job at the ripe old age of 15, washing dishes and doing basic prep at a local Jewish Deli. Little did I know at the time, but I had stumbled into a job that would become my life’s work.
After working in kitchens through high school and college and earning an economics degree from the University of Illinois, I was released into the “real world” where I landed a job in an office. After a few years though of toiling in the world of business, I realized I longed for the energy, comradery and passion of the restaurant. I decided to go to Culinary School.
This was the 90s when the Food Network had just come online and Chefs were becoming “cool” on popular culture. Of course, the real professional kitchen is a lot of long hours and hard work and anything but sexy. Fortunately, I knew that already. Many in my class were in for a rude awakening. 2/3 quit before they graduated. I was among the 1/3 who made it through.
After working my way from line cook to sous chef to head chef 0f a French Bistro in Chicago, I was recruited to open a massive French restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip. I figured it was a great opportunity and challenge. I’ll work for a year and then head to NYC or LA or somewhere sexy.
Well, 24 years later and I’m still here. I opened a little tapas joint called Firefly in 2003, then a couple of more Fireflies. I also opened a place near and dear to my heart along the way, Tacos & Beer, an unassuming joint that serves my favorite food in the world, tacos! And my favorite beverage, beer!
I have a wife and three kids and a house in the ‘burbs and I’m still working in the kitchens of my spots all of these years later.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I always say that if I knew how difficult, borderline impossible, it is to open a successful restaurant with little to no operating capital, I never would have done it. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I just had a dream and a willingness to work 24/7. No weekends. No vacations. No holidays. For years.
God bless all the friends and family who ponied up $2500 to buy a share of ownership in my restaurant. Most now tell me that they never expected to see a penny back. The thing I learned about the restaurant business is that you need money in the bank when you open the doors. You are probably going to lose money in the beginning even if your place is popular right off the bat as you get your systems in place and find the right staff and management.
My partner who ran the front of the house lost his wife, his car and his house. I sold my house and made some money. I figured I came to Vegas with nothing. I’m leaving with nothing. Business was picking up, but our cash flow was far from healthy and I owed back sales tax that were collecting penalties. I put all of the profits from selling my house into the business, bought out my partner and got to work making it work.
Slowly but surely we developed a following to the point where we would still be on a wait for a table at midnight.
One of the proudest and happiest days in my life when I was finally able to write distribution checks to my mom and dad, uncles and aunts, friends and coworkers who took a chance on me. I’m still writing them happily. They’ve all made many times their initial investments back. Pretty cool.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Persimmons MGMT Co, Firefly Tapas Kitchen & Bar, Tacos & Beer, and Graze Kitchen?
We are a restaurant company. I am the CEO/Chef/Co-Owner of all of the individual restaurants as well as a management and consulting company specializing in restaurant operations and start-ups.
Our company has always been a family affair. I think that makes all of the difference, especially in the hospitality industry. We empower our managers and they treat our restaurants as if they owned them. We have a robust profit-sharing program so that they can indeed share in the fruits of their labor.
We have learned that every customer is important, never forgetting the days when we didn’t have any customers.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I never expected to still be living in Las Vegas. The fact is, there are very few places where I could have realized my dream of opening my own restaurant. There are new neighborhoods and new opportunities popping up across the valley.
Also, ease of entry is a huge benefit. In areas like Chicago and LA or the OC, you need to buy an existing liquor license. In Vegas, you just need to fill out the application, go through some vetting to make sure you aren’t a mobster, pay a nominal fee and Voila! You’re in business!
Dislikes. There definitely are some, but first and foremost for me is the lack of an ocean or river or Great Lake. We have Lake Mead, but that’s not really a lake in my mind. I miss the wooded bass lakes with tire swings and trees. No beaches either.
Luckily, So Cal is a short flight or drive away.
Contact Info:
- Website: fireflylv.com, tacosandbeerlv.com, ilovetograze.com, persimmonsevents.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fireflytapas/
