biz magazine - january, 2015

January 2015

DELIVERED TO BUSINESS LEADERS THROUGHOUT SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER

Magazine

Burger w/a sideof hard work

Twisted Root’s Grant Nuckollsshares his unpaved road to success

as a restauranteur

Restaurant/Food Service Edition- Customer Service

- Technology - Profiles- & More

PLUS:Viking Drive’s

PotentialBossier City’s Next major

thoroughfare?

23 years oflearning

Business owner talks lessons

2 BIZ. Magazine • January 2015

Spring classes begin 1/16 • bpcc.edu

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The First Word

January 2015 • BIZ. Magazine 3

There are very few things in this life that people are more particular and passionateabout than food. Which means those businesses that take on the challenge to produceand deliver food to customers have a tough, but rewarding mission. And they can teachus all a few lessons about failure, success, and some skills we can use in our own placeof business.

And I speak from experience.

See, I did my time in the restaurant industry. During college I spent a few months working inthe kitchen and counter at a small business delicatessen and, later, a little bit over a year “serv-ing” for a major restaurant chain. Even though I was doing essentially the same thing — greet-ing people, taking their order, bringing their order to them and ensuring a positive experiencethroughout their visit —the two jobs couldn’t have been more different.

The deli taught me how to be personal with customers and that the small things make all thedifference. I learned how to talk to people, carry on conversation, and the little flourishes ontheir sandwich or pizza that made them come back. Meanwhile, as a waiter, I learned how im-portant customer service was not only to my wallet, but also to our individual restaurant. Imade roughly $2.50 an hour waiting tables, which meant tips were my lion’s share of income. Ifthe customer didn’t enjoy themselves, they didn’t tip (i.e. if they had a bad time, I had a badtime). Diners were also chosen at random to receive a survey and corporate valued their an-swers (so much so that we had several 6 a.m. mandatory meetings after some staff had left justthree hours previously). Therefore, if a diner had a bad time and gave the restaurant a badscore, then it meant trouble for all of us. I can tell you, it only takes one meeting on three hoursof sleep, three hours before your next shift, to get the importance of customer satisfaction.

But the lessons didn’t just stop at customer service and that little things matter, though. I alsolearned how to work under pressure, deal with unsatisfied clients, multitask, utilize time man-agement, take initiative, and the values of systemization — all of which have served me to thisday.

And that’s what this BIZ. is about. There are a multitude of lessons that can be learned from therestaurant/food service industry and applied to whatever it is YOU do. Sure, customer service isarguably the most important and probably top of mind, but there are so many more, from theones I personally learned and listed above to learning how important your vendors are and

even something as basic as preparation. We could all usesome inspiration on applying new or forgotten conceptslike these.

In addition, you can know these lessons are hard-won andbattle tested. The restaurant/food service industry istough. It is rife with tales of great ideas, brilliant concepts,wonderful menus, talented cooks, and unique cuisines thatdidn’t work. You’ll get advice from local industry leaderswho made it and their words of wisdom could mean thatyou don’t make the same mistakes they did and ensurethat you don’t become another business who had some-thing great but failed to see it flourish.

I guess what it all boils down to is that almost a decadelater I’m still serving food, but instead of steak and vegeta-bles it’s food for thought. Bon appetite.

Serving food forthought

Restaurant industry offers lessons

Sean GreenSean is vice president/publisher ofBIZ. You can reach him by [email protected].


Contents

Volume 6, Number 1 | ©Copyright 2015 by Specht Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved. BIZ. is published each month by Specht Newspapers, Inc.at 4250 Viking Drive, Bossier City, LA 71111. Telephone (318) 747-7900. Information in this publication is gathered from sources considered to bereliable, but the accuracy and completeness of the information cannot be guaranteed.

14Burger with a side of hard workTwisted Root Burger Co. proprietor Grant Nuckolls talks about his experience opening apopular local restaurant with no background inthe industry.

16Potential for Viking DriveThe north Bossier road runs through an industrialpark that is filling up fast and will soon connect toa major retail development. Where is its ceiling?

1723 years oflearningBossier City business ownerKedgy Larson imparts wisdomearned overdecades.

3 Serving food for thoughtThe restaurant industry can offer many lessons.

5 It’s not about the food!The dishes take a back seat when dining out.

6 All about that serviceTo be good at customer service, you have to live it.

7 Make yourself STAND OUTDifferentiate your business to draw in customers.

12 Not much of a stretchDigital content comes easy for restaurant industry.

13 Tipping tipsThe need to reward great service.

24 The second comingWine Country Chef Anthony Felan returns for second go-

around.

Regulars

On the CoverThe January BIZ. will look at businesses in and

elements of the Shreveport-Bossier restau-

rant and food service industry, including

Twisted Root Burger Co.’s Grant Nuckolls.

BIZ. News OnlineThe BIZ. website at www.nwlabusiness.com is Shreveport-Bossier’shome for business news, updated as it happens. In addition, users cansign up for a free BIZ. Daily Report to keep up with BIZ. news from thecomfort of their Inbox.

Contact Us: [email protected]

25CoHab kicks off ‘Lean Startup’ programSix Shreveport-Bossier-area startups have beenchosen as the 2015 cohort of Cohab’s “BreakingLean” program.

4 BIZ. Magazine • January 2015 January 2015 • BIZ. Magazine 5

3 Serving food for thoughtThe restaurant industry can offer many lessons.

5 It’s not about the food!The dishes take a back seat when dining out.

6 All about that serviceTo be good at customer service, you have to live it.

7 Make yourself STAND OUTDifferentiate your business to draw in customers.

12 Not much of a stretchDigital content comes easy for restaurant industry.

13 Tipping tipsThe need to reward great service.

24 The second comingWine Country Chef Anthony Felan returns for second go-

around.

Win-Win Powertools

It’s not aboutthe food! I

confess! My wife and I eat out a lot. We go to places we havegone before…IF the service is good. They know us and we knowthem. The food is not what either of us would call great. But, theservice is always good and the friendly faces, personal greetings,and the smiles are always at hand. I also don’t have to refill myglass or clean up! The local restaurants that want to see us regu-

larly need to know….it’s all about service.

Eating out is about being served. Great…I mean really great food…can be overshadowed by poor service, and that service will be whatwe remember. It was my wife’s birthday….I won’t say which one…andI carried her to a new and kind of classy restaurant. Seated at a smalland intimate table, we discovered that they featured an interestingassortment of salads. Since we both like salads, we each orderedone with the plan to share the fare. I explained to the waiter…I meansalesperson…that we wanted one half of each salad on each plate sothe eating would be easier…we concentrated on the evening.

Before we knew it, the salesperson showed up with each salad inlarge bowls. My scowl spoke volumes to the waiter/salesperson andhe quickly pointed at the kitchen door and said it was the only waythe chef would serve the salads. He tried to quickly shift the respon-sibility to someone else and quickly sped away never to be seenagain. We looked at each other and commented that we must ONLYbe the CLIENT and what we wanted was not important. You may

often see these encounterswhere someone is buying andsomeone is selling. We quicklyate; the salads were excellent.No matter. As we walked out,we agreed that we would notbe back for a second meal. Indeference to my wife’s occa-sion, I didn’t make a scene. Inretrospect, I should have, andallowed the owner/manager anopportunity to make it right.

The story confirms my think-ing….the food was excellent…the service or lack of it wasawful. The chef, manager, over-ruled our request. The server,salesperson, did not protectour minor request, the tip wasnon-existent and the restau-rant lost a bunch of potentialbusiness. As usual, I haveshared this experience multi-ple times.

Jerry FrentressSpeaker & Coach, Win-Win Power(ful)Tools for Sales, Service and EmployeeInterviewing. Website: www.WinWin-PowerTools.com.

Business Facebook:www.Facebook.com/WinWinPower-Tools . 453-6080 / Bossier City

Customer service can make orbreak a dining experience


Randy BrownAdvertising/Marketing Guru

He is the Publisher of the BossierPress-Tribune, as well as AdvertisingDirector for Bossier Newspaper Pub-lishing Company, Inc., publishers ofthe BPT and BIZ. Magazine. Randy maybe reached [email protected]

Marketing B-S (Bossier-Shreveport)

Ilove customer service. I love the concept andall of the surrounding ideas. I love talkingabout it with our staff. I love creating a goodcustomer service experience for our cus-tomers. And, I (like most of us) I love being onthe receiving end of a good customer service

experience.

If your customers love your customer service andthe overall experience of dealing with both youand your company, then your sales will sky-rocket. Thus, your company's revenue will alsoskyrocket.

To provide the ultimate in customer service,know your customer. Know their business needsand wants. If you LISTEN, they will tell you ex-actly what they are looking for. Let them sell you

on what they want. Let your customer do thetalking. Listen, then give advice and recommen-dations based upon what they tell you.

Think of yourself as a consultant. Become an ex-pert at what you do. Know what you are selling.Know your products inside and out. Then, takethis knowledge and use it based upon what yourcustomer has told you about their business. Sellthem what they need. Sell them what will helpthem. Then, you will have a customer for life.

Constantly work toward creating a "WOW" expe-rience for your customers in terms of their expe-riences with both you and your company. Do theunexpected. Go above and beyond. Set yourselfand your company apart. Focus on building longlasting relationships with your customers. Key in

on the essential elements associated with mak-ing this happen. Customer service is mostly com-mon sense. As such, use your common sense.Essentially, treat your customers like you expectto be treated when you are the customer. Anangry customer just wants someone to listen tothem. It is sometimes easy for us all to get defen-sive and to make excuses or reasonable explana-tions about why something did or didn't happen.

Practicing the techniques above and perfectingyour customer service skills will increase the pa-tience, trust and respect that your customershave in you. Trust must be earned. So, earn it.

All about that serviceIn order to be good at customer service, you have to live it

Uncommon Sense Marketing


Ilove customer service. I love the concept andall of the surrounding ideas. I love talkingabout it with our staff. I love creating a goodcustomer service experience for our cus-tomers. And, I (like most of us) I love being onthe receiving end of a good customer service

experience.

If your customers love your customer service andthe overall experience of dealing with both youand your company, then your sales will sky-rocket. Thus, your company's revenue will alsoskyrocket.

To provide the ultimate in customer service,know your customer. Know their business needsand wants. If you LISTEN, they will tell you ex-actly what they are looking for. Let them sell you

on what they want. Let your customer do thetalking. Listen, then give advice and recommen-dations based upon what they tell you.

Think of yourself as a consultant. Become an ex-pert at what you do. Know what you are selling.Know your products inside and out. Then, takethis knowledge and use it based upon what yourcustomer has told you about their business. Sellthem what they need. Sell them what will helpthem. Then, you will have a customer for life.

Constantly work toward creating a "WOW" expe-rience for your customers in terms of their expe-riences with both you and your company. Do theunexpected. Go above and beyond. Set yourselfand your company apart. Focus on building longlasting relationships with your customers. Key in

on the essential elements associated with mak-ing this happen. Customer service is mostly com-mon sense. As such, use your common sense.Essentially, treat your customers like you expectto be treated when you are the customer. Anangry customer just wants someone to listen tothem. It is sometimes easy for us all to get defen-sive and to make excuses or reasonable explana-tions about why something did or didn't happen.

Practicing the techniques above and perfectingyour customer service skills will increase the pa-tience, trust and respect that your customershave in you. Trust must be earned. So, earn it.

As you cruise down Youree Drive in Shreveport or up Airline inBossier, you're struck by the number of restaurants there. Andhave you noticed that there are full parking lots everywhere youlook? There are literally dozens of places to eat within a one mileradius. Consumers have lots of choices. What makes themchoose you?

In today's market, you have to differentiate yourself in order to stand outand draw in customers. This is true whether you are a restaurant or anyother small business. You can get a cup of coffee at the famous chain, theconvenience store, drive through the fast food line, or relax at the localcoffee shop. What makes you choose where to buy a white dress shirt,get your oil changed, or pick up a birthday card? With all the optionstoday, a business has to stand out somehow.

Here are some ways you can differentiate your business:

n Pricing - You could be a low price, low margin option like WalMart, oryou could be the high price, high margin Ferrari. Higher prices are usuallyperceived as higher quality. Another pricing strategy might be to offerquantity discounts.

n Product - Is it time to find some new products or services to sell? This

could be a regular item or limited time availability. (Think of the McRib orPumpkin Spice Latte's - only available during a short window of time.)

n Positioning - Does your product or service cater to seniors, families orsingles? Can you be the solution for a demographic or geographic area?

n Packaging - Is there a way to combine multiples of your product to-gether? Can you package it with a complimentary product? Maybe it'stime to have new bags made or have nice tissue and ribbons to tie up thepurchase.

n Quality - You can sell a 29 cent pen or a $50 pen; you could sell a$15/hour service or a $150/hour service. Are you dollar store or bou-tique?

n Convenience - Can you offer delivery, drive through, or free gift wrap-ping? Some people will search out a business based on its conveniences.Can your product be ordered online? Is it something you can deliverelectronically?

Take a hard look at what you can do to differentiate your business fromothers. You can't and won't appeal to everyone. Be clear how you standout and who you serve. Happy marketing!

Amy KinnairdMarketing StrategistTrainer and Speaker

With over 35 years experience in mar-keting and training, Amy helps busi-ness owners put together the rightplan. If you struggle with your market-ing and don’t know where to start…If what you used to do for marketingisn’t working anymore…If it’s time toget clear about your business andcome up with a good plan…call Amy at318-795-0520 or visit her website:www.UnCommonSenseMarketing.com

Differentiate your business to draw in customers

Make yourselfSTAND OUT

Uncommon Sense Marketing


Biz ToolsDo Something

The speed of business is ever increasing. The successful business leaderstays on top of the tools and information to help his company grow.

App of the Month

YelpYelp is Urbanspoon on a grander scale. Since Apple launched the App Store, Yelp's been therewith a free and exhaustive list of restaurants in cities big and small. The app focuses on commu-nity interaction, encouraging users to review and rate the restaurants they've been to. Restaurantratings on Yelp don't come from critics: Scores are based entirely on regular restaurant goers. Themost important icon is called "Nearby," which lets you search for all sorts of businesses in yourvicinity. Like Urbanspoon, restaurant/business pages contain information like hours of operation,price range, dine-in or take-out and links to menus.— howstuffworks.com

On the BIZ. Tools Podcast

This Month:Live! From the BIZ. Breakfast

Last MonthBe Wary Who You Partner With

Culture Is King

Listen to the BIZ. Tools Podcast at:biztoolspodcast.com

#WorthFollowing

@bizmagsb@20X49

@TwistedRoot@CoolDowntown@bossierchamber

Book of the Month

Dyou have the opportunity to do what you do best everyday? Chances are, you don't. All too often, our natural tal-ents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we de-vote more time to fixing our shortcomings than todeveloping our strengths. To help people uncover theirtalents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online as-

sessment, StrengthsFinder, in 2001 which ignited a global conver-sation and helped millions to discover their top five talents.

While you can read this book in one sitting, you'll use it as a refer-ence for decades. Loaded with hundreds of strategies for apply-ing your strengths, this new book and accompanying website willchange the way you look at yourself--and the world around you--forever.

Available exclusively in StrengthsFinder 2.0:n A new and upgraded edition of the StrengthsFinder assessment n A personalized Strengths Discovery and Action-Planning Guidefor applying your strengths in the next week, month, and year n A more customized version of your top five theme report n 50 Ideas for Action (10 strategies for building on each of yourtop five themes)

— Amazon.com


More Tools

This month: “The BIZ. ToolsPodcast: Live”

Friday, Jan. 169 a.m.

CoHab in Red River DistrictJoin us for coffee, breakfast & a lesson

The BIZ. Tools Podcast is going live for a special edition from theBIZ. Breakfast at CoHab. We will take your questions about yourbusiness and give you advice, as well as open it up to advice andlessons from our audience. So be sure to bring your questions,worries AND best advice to this month’s BIZ. Breakfast at CoHab inthe Red River District Friday, Jan. 16 at 9 a.m.

GIVE US ABREAK

GORILLATECH&REPAIR


Locally we are seeing growth as Bossier continues to boom and we can expect a steadyuptick in population as even more jobs are added. The influx of new residents directlylinks to the growth of many area restaurants. A love for food is deep rooted inLouisiana’s culture. As a Louisiana native, I understand the not so complex relationshipof food and culture. Growing up here I can vividly remember dining out with my ex-tended family on a weekly basis. Food was always at the center of any gathering for my

family and I am sure that many folks in the south share the same memories. Because ofLouisiana’s deep culinary roots residents can experience a variety of top notch, award winningcuisines right in our own backyard.

The Bossier Chamber of Commerce is pleased to have several growing culinary establishmentsas part of its membership base. Take a moment to read through their profiles below and learnabout their success.

2John’s – Open Table recently named this fine dining establishment as one of its “Top 100Steakhouses”. After combing through 20,000 steakhouses and over 5 million reviews, thehonor of Top Steakhouse was given to only 6 Louisiana steakhouses. Owner and local restau-rateur, John Montelepre, Jr., attributes this recent accolade to his chef, Josh Wilkinson who wasalso given the coveted title of “Best Chef” by SB Magazine two years in a row. Monteleprethinks that giving customers different options along with steak is an important part of whatkeeps customers coming. “Chef Wilkinson changes the menu often to incorporate ‘off menu’options.” The menu options aren’t the only thing keeping the hour-long wait time at 2John’s.Montelepre added “economic perception is better. Every year we’ve done better than the lastand over the last six years we have seen a lot of jobs added to the area.”

Gullo’s Market – This family owned restaurant and grocery store has been in business in Bossiersince 2013 but had a 15 year run in the convenience store business. Their relocation intoBossier City did not deter customer’s foot traffic. “Our business has grown mainly from word ofmouth.” Phillip Gullo states it simply “Good food will always bring people together!” Gullo’spopularity doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon. “Having a reputation for servingfresh made food to locating specialty grocery items that can't be found in your local supermar-

ket. We are still growing, too! We recently added packagedliquor and wine.” Phillip further adds.

Dickey’s BBQ – The Texas-style BBQ joint got its start in theneighboring Dallas metropolitan area back in 1944. Thefranchise has recently made its home in Bossier City andcelebrated its 1 year anniversary on December 19, 2014.In less than 1 year the franchise made plans to expand.Catherine Long of Dickey’s states “We recently added oursecond location in Shreveport due to the success we hadin Bossier. We attribute this growth with the success of ourcatering business.” The restaurant’s also recognizes theimpact that mobile and social marketing outreach has hadon the bottom line. “Bossier has caught on to our Deal ofthe Days and our Text My Market capability that allows ourcustomers to receive additional deal and savings we offer.”

Ginger CollierDirector of Communications,Bossier Chamber of Commerce

Growing locally

From the Bossier Chamber

Influx of Bossier restaurants means aninflux of Bossier residents

2John’s2151 Airline Drive #1500 in Bossier City

(318) 841-5646

wwww.2johnsrestaurant.com

Dickey's Barbecue Pit2620 Beene Boulevard in Bossier City

318) 742-9997

wwww.dickeys.com

Gullo’s Market2091 Stockwell Road in Bossier City

(318) 741-2120

www.facebook.com/gullosmarket


Tuesday, January 27 6 PMCenturyLink Center

Honoring 2014 Business & Business Person of the YearTables & Tickets Available Now!

www.bossierchamber.com • 318-746-0252 • [email protected]

Sponsored by:

LEADERMETRO

Newspaper

CASINO HOTELBOSSIER CITY, LA

WELCOME TO

2John’s2151 Airline Drive #1500 in Bossier City

(318) 841-5646

wwww.2johnsrestaurant.com

Dickey's Barbecue Pit2620 Beene Boulevard in Bossier City

318) 742-9997

wwww.dickeys.com

Gullo’s Market2091 Stockwell Road in Bossier City

(318) 741-2120

www.facebook.com/gullosmarket


Restaurants are SO LUCKY. This is oneindustry that does NOT have tostretch for digital content. They makevideo-worthy content with every newcustomer order! The biggest chal-lenge is likely finding time for an em-

ployee to stop making orders long enough toadd digital media creation to their workflow.

This is probably why so few small restaurantshave videos on their websites, or haveYouTube channels. You can find great videoson the major chains’ YouTube channels. Evenif you have a smaller place with little-to-nobudget for videos, some of the corporatestrategies still apply.

What better way to repurpose televisioncommercials? The production is already paidfor. As long as the company didn’t sign any-thing preventing them from owning rights totheir own commercial, they can get the digitalfile and upload it to their own YouTube chan-

nel. The commercial can be embedded intothe restaurant website, too, and/or posted tothe company’s Facebook page.

You’ll also see videos that tell the story of therestaurant, documentary-style. This is a greatway to connect emotionally with customersby sharing how the idea for the businesscame about, who made it happen, any majorhurdles overcome, and what happy customershave to say about the business today.

Other great content comes from user-submit-ted videos. Of course there can be snarks outthere, but fans are happy to post videos oftheir experiences, too (especially if there’s acontest involved). Behind-the-scenes videos,either in the kitchen or at a photo or commer-cial shoot, are another way to take advantageof a restaurant YouTube channel.

The take-away points for ANY small business:use the internet to economically publish

videos of your professional commercials,company history, fan experiences, and any-thing else your customers and clients wouldfind useful or interesting.

******************************************

Armed Forces Communications & ElectronicsAssociation – ArkLaTex ChapterGeneral Membership LuncheonFebruary 17, 201511:30amBoomtown Casino, Bossier City, LARyan Gillespie, Executive Chef, Science onthe Rocks Presents: Molecular GastronomyThis may be the one business luncheon youattend where it is okay to play with yourfood!Free for AFCEA members, $15 for non-mem-bers. RSVP: Timothy M. Hoffmann, 1st Lt,USAF, 318-456-3192 [email protected]

Jill MacchiavernaJill is Publicity Chair, Business Devel-opment Connection for the GreaterShreveport Chamber of Commerce.

Not much of a stretchDigital content comes easily for restaurant industry

Business Development Applied Knowledge

David SpechtPresident,BIZ. & Specht Newspapers, Inc.


Business Development Applied Knowledge

The term “coach” has become a buzzword these days. There are lifecoaches, health coaches, sales coaches and others. People seem towant someone to “coach” them. However, I believe what people arereally wanting is a cheerleader.

When I was 13, our church youth group took a trip to Crested Butte,Colo. to go skiing. There were “free shuttles to take skiers to and from thelifts. I noticed every shuttle had a cup on the dash board with a sign thatread, “Tip-ping is not a town in China.” I was always taught that tips were areward for excellent service. However, in recent years, I have learned a fewthings about tipping that changed the way I think, and how I tip.

Lower Minimum Wages

In Louisiana, the minimum wage for waiters and waitresses is $2.13 per hour.The minimum wage for everyone else is $7.25 per hour. While some restau-rants pay their wait staff higher, many - if not most - do not.

I saw this reality first hand when my friend’s daughter received her firstcheck for waiting tables from a small restaurant. While she made tips allalong, due to taxes, and other deductions, her check for an entire week wasless than $10.00. She was floored.

For her it was a teaching moment with regard to saving and budgeting tipmoney. For me, it was the realization that tip money was essentially the only“take home” pay she would receive.

Shared Tips

In many restaurants, wait staff must split their tips with hostesses, dishwash-ers and others. This further reduces their take home pay. We often do notthink about these others when deciding how much to tip.

Don’t get me wrong, many waiters and waitresses make excellent money intheir chosen profession. However, many do not reach minimum wage due tothese factors.

Tips on Tips

As customers, we need to realize that we should always leave some form oftip. The truth is that a tip is not a bonus, but part of the basic salary. Yes, ahigher level of service should be rewarded, but withholding a tip is never theright answer for less than stellar service.

If you hate math, a good rule of thumb for tipping is to look at the amountcharged as tax on your ticket. Double that amount. Ta-da, you are done.

In today’s business world, culture is king. In the restaurant business, culturecan be greatly affected by the “tipping relationship.” Great service is worthpaying (and charging) for. Both restauranteurs and customers have parts toplay.

Applying this knowledge will improve this business throughout the commu-nity. Wouldn’t it be nice if we were known for outstanding service, no matterthe restaurant?

David SpechtPresident,BIZ. & Specht Newspapers, Inc.

Tipping tipsThe need to reward

good service


Cover Story

Continued on Page 18

Story by Sean Green Cover Story

Twisted Root proprietor talks about his bold jump into the restaurant industry

In Shreveport-Bossier there are three basickinds of restaurants. To paint with a broadbrush, you have fast food, chains/mom andpop, and fine dining. But every so often, oneeatery pops up that can’t be pigeonholed.Thanks to its unique blend of atmosphere,

menu, and bar, Shreveport’s Twisted Root BurgerCompany has managed to blend all of the aboveand make a strange cocktail of cool.

The burger joint with chain roots (the originalstore was based in Dallas and is one of 12) hasmanaged to take a familiar staple of the Americandiet and flip it on its head by offering rare meats— who’s up for a Kangaroo burger? — and menuoptions such as the “Frito Bandito,” which addsfritos, chili, and guacamole to the bun. Housed ina new building that was built to look a century-old, filled with music memorabilia and staffed byemployees who are eager to make the customerslaugh, the year-old restaurant has fit nicely intothe growing millennial culture.

Grant Nuckolls, proprietor of Twisted Root BurgerCompany, was born and raised in Shreveport andfound his new passion almost by accident. Tripsto Dallas on the weekends introduced him toTwisted Root and despite never running, let alonestarting, a restaurant didn’t dimin-ish his fervor.

“I heard about Twisted Root onFood Network’s ‘Diners, Drive-insand Dives. I went once, loved itand started going again and againand put in the back of my headthat this place would do great inShreveport.”

Fast forward six years later and despite growingto several stores, they hadn’t franchised. Granttook it upon himself to open a dialogue and in-vest his time to learn from the company.

“For most of 2012, I spent weekends in Dallaslearning from them and they said ‘We like yourbusiness experience and we’ll teach you thekitchen experience.’”

Speed ahead again to Sept. 24, 2013 and theShreveport stop is the only one outside Texas. It’salso their top performer.

“There are so many moving parts that it’s easy tolose focus on the customer, but we always try tomake sure we put ourselves in the customer’sshoes. It’s important to have fun. We’re alwaysabout having fun at our expense — we want cus-tomers to laugh at something we’re doing orsomething we’ve put up. This is a baseball cap,flip flop atmosphere. We’re going to play somemusic and have fun. We try to give people an out-let to either sit outside or watch a game.”

Grant’s success has evolved out of his emphasison being a good neighborhood partner. He said

his greatest surprise is being able to give back tothe place where he was raised.

“I grew up six blocks from the restaurant. I wantto be here forever and you gotta give back. We’vedone a ton of in-store fundraisers and sponsoringlocal festivals, which brings in new people and al-lows us to help the community.”

That’s pretty good for a restauranteur who took ahuge risk with no safety net.

“We were both guinea pigs in that I had zerorestaurant experience and they had zero fran-chise experience. I told them I would spend fiveto six months and let me prove myself,” Grant ex-plained. “If I’m going to risk everything, I’d ratherrisk it in my hometown where I grew up andlived.”

“I had many friends I could call on for help andadvice. We were the first new business along thisarea of Line Avenue in a long time and firstrestaurant since Outback Steakhouse. I spent a lotof time working with the zoning office and citycouncilmen. With opening a new business, thereare numerous challenges and there’s so muchgoing on simultaneously - zoning, design, liquorlicense, insurance - it’s nice being able to make afew phone calls and be lead in the right direc-tion.”

He credits Shreveport restaurant community foroffering guidance and help, “These guys could bestandoffish if they want because they’re the bestbut they were a huge help.”

He put in the time and effort all for a risk thatcould have flamed out. It’s something that otherlocal entrepreneurs do day in and day out. Thetrial by fire has left Grant with some lessons toshare.

First, he says don’t be intimidated by the un-known. People will respect your risk and respond.

“Don’t be intimidated by the fact you haven’tdone it before. If you’re a chef or foodie, that’sgreat, but if you like going out to eat and want tolearn more, don’t let a lack of knowledge stopyou.”

“If you stick your neck out, there will be peoplewho will help you if you ask for it.”

But Grant points out that it’s important to put inthe time and learn about your passion, whetherit’s hamburgers or accounting.

“Spend the extra time to get your hands dirty anddo all the jobs — I washed dishes, cooked on theline, bused tables.”

“Find out what you want to do and go in headfirst.”


Cover Story

Grant Nuckolls


Economic Development

The Viking Drive industrial park is steadily filling up and is set to become a majorfrontage road once a retail development locates nearby. The north Bossier location willbe joined to the Kroger Marketplace development by a relief road that is well under-way. In addition, an area that began years ago with 65 acres only has 15-20 acres left.

“We are way down from where we started years ago. There is some acreage left and we are en-tertaining offers,” said Rocky Rockett, president of the Greater Bossier Economic DevelopmentFoundation (GBEDF).

GBEDF is responsible for selling the spots to businesses. Something that, according to Rocket,depends on number of jobs, budget, and the facility itself.

“Our initial effort was to spur job growth and it’s been successful in that. The return on invest-ment is job creation,” he explained.

With the relief road running from Viking Drive, behind the Home Depot store to the newKroger Marketplace retail development, between the Home Depot and Walmart stores off Air-line Drive, the potential is there for more retail to set up shop in the area.

“There are no immediate plans to build on that relief road, but people who own that propertycould sell to a retail establishment in the future,” said Mark Natale, public information officerfor Bossier City. “It is prime for development.”

Natale says that the forecast for the Viking Drive park is more focused on office space and in-dustrial buildings, he says the relief road will mean more traffic and that means more eyeballs.

“With the relief road being built, it is going to mean more traffic on Viking Drive, and thatwould be something desirable for any business.”

Rockett also acknowledged this by saying, “That road is going to alleviate some traffic on Air-line but will bring customer potential into that land for possible development and has the abil-ity to add some really good retail.”

As the Viking Drive park becomes filled with more clients, is made more accessible by theSwan Lake Road widening and attracts more drivers with the relief road, it is not hard to see atime where Viking Drive itself would need to be widened.

Bossier City Engineer Mark Hudson estimates there will easily be several thousand vehiclesper day utilizing the road, and that will only increase with further development.

Natale notes that the city is eyeing the widening of Viking Drive as a future possibility, but fornow it is on the “back burner.”

He explains the hold up is money. A conservative estimate from Bossier City Engineer MarkHudson places the cost to widen Viking Drive between Airline Drive and Swan Lake Road at $6million.

Potential forViking DriveCould development lead to new

major thoroughfare for Bosier City?

Story by Amanda Crane


Business People

Kedgy Larson has found that 23 years of business inBossier City has been nothing but pure, blissful joy. Alot of things have changed since Fitness Lady openedin 1991. Most of those changes are what she calls“positive learning experiences.”

“I don't have a lot of regrets or mistakes from working longhours,” she said. “I don't think I've come to that place in my lifewhere I feel like I've arrived. I've only reached another stepalong this journey.”

Larson recently collected her thoughts and put them intowords, which she inscribed on a large yellow legal pad in heroffice. As she turned each page, the words seamlessly flowedfrom her heart.

“Health and fitness is hard work, but it can be fun as well.When motivated out of fun, people tend to work even harder,”Larson said aloud, reading from her notes. “Being patient withmyself in this growth journey is a must.”

Larson became the owner of Fitness Lady in Bossier City in1997. At the time, there were no female business mentors in

the industry she was stepping into.

That's when she decided to create her own path and become amentor for herself and her business.

“I have always loved learning,” Larson said. “Learning for mehas always been an exciting adventure because once you learnsomething, you have an opportunity to put it into action.”

Larson noted that there has been a lot of changes in the fit-ness and wellness community as a whole...good changes thatis. Fitness Lady was once a spa that only some women couldafford.

Today, it's a place for working women to find the best in them-selves with the full support of the women around them.

What Fitness Lady stands for today is what Larson envisionedearly on. She discovered that making her career a calling hasgiven her great success in many lives.

“When your career is your calling, it takes on a whole newdepth,” Larson said. “You don't experience burnout when yourcareer is fueled by passion, excitement and enthusiasm.”

Her calling is to also bring new things into women's lives,through health and wellness, that they wouldn't otherwisethink was possible.

“I am here to help people, teach people, encourage them andto never pass judgement,” she said. “Every time you take astep, it's important to look change in the face, accept it, em-brace it and never run from it.”

If there's one thing that hasn't changed in 23 years its thatthere's still no magic pills or potions for weight loss.

“We can all do a little more with just a bit of encouragementfrom someone who cares,” Larson added.

She told her employees back in the '90s that she would be inthe business until the age of 93. As she approaches 62, Larsonsaid she will continue to do the job she loves each day untilthen.

“I pray for this club and my members every day,” she said. “Ithank God for his abundance in our lives and how he hasblessed this business to thrive and soar.”

Bossier City business owner makes many discoveries over the course of her career

23 years oflearning

The Viking Drive industrial park is steadily filling up and is set to become a majorfrontage road once a retail development locates nearby. The north Bossier location willbe joined to the Kroger Marketplace development by a relief road that is well under-way. In addition, an area that began years ago with 65 acres only has 15-20 acres left.

“We are way down from where we started years ago. There is some acreage left and we are en-tertaining offers,” said Rocky Rockett, president of the Greater Bossier Economic DevelopmentFoundation (GBEDF).

GBEDF is responsible for selling the spots to businesses. Something that, according to Rocket,depends on number of jobs, budget, and the facility itself.

“Our initial effort was to spur job growth and it’s been successful in that. The return on invest-ment is job creation,” he explained.

With the relief road running from Viking Drive, behind the Home Depot store to the newKroger Marketplace retail development, between the Home Depot and Walmart stores off Air-line Drive, the potential is there for more retail to set up shop in the area.

“There are no immediate plans to build on that relief road, but people who own that propertycould sell to a retail establishment in the future,” said Mark Natale, public information officerfor Bossier City. “It is prime for development.”

Natale says that the forecast for the Viking Drive park is more focused on office space and in-dustrial buildings, he says the relief road will mean more traffic and that means more eyeballs.

“With the relief road being built, it is going to mean more traffic on Viking Drive, and thatwould be something desirable for any business.”

Rockett also acknowledged this by saying, “That road is going to alleviate some traffic on Air-line but will bring customer potential into that land for possible development and has the abil-ity to add some really good retail.”

As the Viking Drive park becomes filled with more clients, is made more accessible by theSwan Lake Road widening and attracts more drivers with the relief road, it is not hard to see atime where Viking Drive itself would need to be widened.

Bossier City Engineer Mark Hudson estimates there will easily be several thousand vehiclesper day utilizing the road, and that will only increase with further development.

Natale notes that the city is eyeing the widening of Viking Drive as a future possibility, but fornow it is on the “back burner.”

He explains the hold up is money. A conservative estimate from Bossier City Engineer MarkHudson places the cost to widen Viking Drive between Airline Drive and Swan Lake Road at $6million.

Could development lead to new major thoroughfare for Bosier City?

Photo by Amanda CraneKedgy Larson, left, trainsclient Jill ZImmov.


Pop UP: Program helps startups find/attract new customers

News

LouisianaJobConnection.com is matching employerswith job seekers who are offering thousands of jobs inLouisiana. The free website debuted in June for em-ployers, who began registering jobs, and provides a ro-bust, skills-based job matching platform thatautomatically matches job seekers with jobs for which

they are most qualified.

More than 600 Louisiana employers are already utilizingLouisianaJobConnection.com to fill thousands of jobs. Opento Louisiana residents and out-of-state job seekers alike, thesite attracted more than 700 job seekers on its first day.LouisianaJobConnection.com accelerates the search processfor both employers and prospective employees – saving timeand money, reducing unemployment, increasing productivityand expanding sales for small businesses.

“Hundreds of Louisiana employers have posted thousands ofopen positions on LouisianaJobConnection.com, and withmore companies posting in the coming weeks, LouisianaJob-

Connection.com is well-equipped to connect qualified jobseekers with great Louisiana jobs,” said Executive DirectorKristi Barnett Williams of Louisiana Job Connection.

Louisiana Economic Development announced the initiallaunch of Louisiana Job Connection in June. The site is opento job seekers across a wide variety of industries. Any jobseeker, regardless of current residency or education level, isencouraged to sign up with Louisiana Job Connection tobegin the matching process. Any employer with a Louisianatax ID may register and post job openings at LouisianaJob-Connection.com.

The site is designed to address the needs of job seekers andemployers with innovative job posting-and-matching func-tionality and an intuitive, easy-to-use interface. Originally de-signed for LED FastStart® clients, the website offersadvanced messaging features to enhance the job recruitmentexperience for employers and applicants.

“From current residents looking for a new job to Louisiana ex-pats looking to return home, Louisiana Job Connection canhelp connect job seekers to Louisiana employers looking fortheir unique skills,” LED Secretary Stephen Moret said. “Oureconomy continues to expand and diversify, and through thissite job seekers can quickly be matched with a Louisiana jobthat’s well-suited for them. We believe it can be a tremen-dous asset for Louisiana businesses and job seekers alike.”

Louisiana Job Connection includes convenient features forjob seekers including Straightforward Interface, Custom Pri-vacy Settings, and Advanced Matching Algorithm. LouisianaJob Connection also includes flexible capabilities forLouisiana employers such as an Advanced Matching Algo-rithm, Multiple Recruiter Functionality, Job Posting Flexibility,Custom Company Landing Pages, and Robust CommunicationTools.

For more info, visit www.LouisianaJobConnection.com.

Employee search gets easierFree website offers potential employees the ability to match up with Louisiana employers


Employee search gets easierFree website offers potential employees the ability to match up with Louisiana employers

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Shreveport Downtown Development Authority offi-cials and more announced a major development lastmonth that will attempt to further the revitalizationof downtown Shreveport. New retail, restaurants, andentertainment venues will be joining the plannedapartment complex on Texas Street. The buiding,

known to many as the old Sears building or even the Feibel-man’s Department Store, is currently undergoing a more than$15 million facelift.

Rhino Coffee, Rock-n-Sake Bar & Sushi and Tips on Texasmusic club will join retail business The Vagabond Showroomin a unique commercial, entertainment and living spacecalled The Lofts @ 624 - named for the location on TexasStreet..

“It takes vision of this sort to see the potential in buildingsthat have been sitting untended for years” said DowntownDevelopment Authority Executive Director Liz Swaine.’The

reason we called Roland when these buildings came avail-able is that we felt he would have the desire and ability to dowhat needed to be done to achieve success. That faith was

well placed!”

The Lofts @ 624 and two adjoiningbuildings at 620 and 616 Texas Streetare undergoing renovations to create aliving, work and play space. The renova-tions have been on going for a coupleof years.

The three historic buildings that com-prise the development are being com-pletely rehabilitated into space for live,

work and play. When all is said and done, more than 120,000additional square feet of space in downtown will be back inuse in the heart of the Central Business District and the WestEdge arts and entertainment area.

“How big is this? Huge,” said Swaine.

Developer Roland von Kurnatwoski, a successful business-man from New Orleans, was enamored of the buildings thefirst time he ever saw them, even though the structures hadbeen vacant for years and one was on the city of Shreveport’sdemolition list.

“These buildings are part of the story of Shreveport,” saysvon Kurnatowski, “and I didn’t want that story to be over. Nowthey can move into the next chapter.”

The seven-story building at 624 Texas St., originally built in1923, will house studio, split level and penthouse apart-ments. The main floor will hold the retail businesses, and Tipson Texas will occupy the basement.

Downtown Shreveport

Huge development for downtownRetail to join living and entertainment spaces for unique combination

Liz Swaine


Dear Dave,

What are your thoughts on hiring spouses?

Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,

There are two ways to look at this question. If you’re talking about hiringyour own spouse to work at your company, I think that’s a situation with thepotential for real trouble.

For the most part, spouses don’t do well as employees. There’s a lot of roomfor misunderstandings and someone getting confused between being anemployee and being a wife or husband. It’s a really hard thing to separatefor the majority of people. I think you’d have a better chance having grownchildren, cousins or even in-laws in that scenario, but even then there’s abigger chance for problems compared to hiring someone to whom you’renot related.

If you’re talking about hiring the spouse of someone who already works foryou, I’d advise against that as well. It’s something we don’t do at my com-

pany, and we rarely even hire the brothers, sisters or other relatives of ourcurrent team members. Now, we have people who have worked here to-gether and then gotten married. That’s a little different, and it’s somethingwe’re not hardcore or corporate about. I mean, I’m not going to fire you ifyou find the love of your life and he or she just happens to work here too.

But here’s the thing about spouses or other relatives working for the samecompany. If you’re the boss, and you have to reprimand one, you’ve in asense reprimanded the other. If you have to fire one, you’ve still got theother one working. How is the one who is still there going to feel and react?What’s going to happen to their attitude and performance? It’s almost dis-loyal to your spouse or close relative to stay with the place that fired them,right? It would be almost impossible for them to still have good feelingsabout the place. If my wife and I worked at the same company and she gotfired, I’d have a hard time staying on even if she deserved it. That would betoo much weirdness and drama for me. I try to avoid that kind of stuff.

The point is you have to separate these kinds of roles clearly and distinctly.If you have family members working for you, they have to perform at a levelabove and beyond your other team members just to get respect and avoid asense of nepotism and favoritism. This may be one of the most difficultthings any small business owner can deal with.

Dave Says — On Business

Dave RamseyDave Ramsey is America’s trustedvoice on business and money. He hasauthored five New York Times best-selling books, including EntreLeader-ship. The Dave Ramsey Show is heardby more than 8 million listeners eachweek on more than 500 radio stations.Follow Dave on the web at www.entre-leadership.com.

Don’t hire your spouseWorking with husband/wife could be asking for trouble

Downtown Shreveport

Huge development for downtown


Shreveport RiverView Theater Singer RANDY JACKSON, conductor BRENT HAVENS and his ensemble will capture the essence of Pink Floyd’s ethereal harmonies and the iconic sounds of one of the biggest rock bands of all time. This concert features a massive light show and their hits such as, “Money,” “Learning to Fly,” “Comfortably Numb” and selections from The Wall. www.shreveportsymphony.com

Shreveport Symphony Special

Event: The Music of Pink Floyd

Margaritaville Resort, Bossier City After selling more than 150 million albums

his name as an international pop legend and has established himself as one of the world’s most

hits such as “Release Me,” and “After the Lovin’” as well as tracks from his new album “Engelbert Calling.” www.margaritavillebossiercity.com

Engelbert Humperdinck

Fairgrounds Field, Shreveport A fun-filled afternoon featuring floats, bands, marching groups, drill teams, queens, kings, youth groups, sports teams, homecoming courts and more. Parade begins and ends at the Fairground Fields parking lot. The parade exits left onto Greenwood Rd., turns right on Mertis St., then right on Lakeshore, another right on Missouri, then back to the Fairgrounds. www.kreweofsobek.org

Krewe of Sobek Parade XII

Horseshoe Riverdome, Bossier City Beautiful, simply does not describe the incomparable force known to the world as Patti LaBelle. Don’t miss her perform live at The Riverdome on January 2. The show starts at 8 p.m.www.horseshoebossiercity.com

Patti LaBelle

Downtown Shreveport A huge, family friendly parade that rolls through downtown Shreveport each year on Martin Luther King, Jr, Day. Marching bands stilt walkers,dozens

For more information call 318-617-7886.

Krewe of Harambee MLK Day

Mardi Gras Parade

Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau, 629 Spring St., Shreveport, LA, 800-551-8682SBFUnguide.com

Looking for something FUN to do?

Marjorie Lyons Playhouse Join us on a magical journey to Never Land. Based on the Disney film and J.M. Barrie’s play, Disney’s Peter Pan Jr. It’s a modern version of the timeless tale about a boy who wouldn’t grow up. Wendy Darling loves to tell stories to her brothers, Michael and John. Their adventure introduces them to mermaids, indians, and even Captain Hook. www.academyofchildrenstheatrela.com

ACT Presents: Peter Pan Jr.Shreveport Little Theatre

Sometimes the best comedy isn’t onstage but from the stage door parking lot, where the point of view comes from the theatre’s backstage unsung heroes. Shows runs Thursdays - Sunday. 812 Margaret Pl., Shreveport. www.thestrandtheatre.com

Two on the Aisle, Three In a Van

East Bank Theatre, Bossier City Will Vanya and Sonia ever find happiness? Will Masha sell the Bucks County farmhouse out from under them? And will Spike ever put his pants on? In VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE, master of comedy, Christopher Durang, takes characters and themes from Chekhov, pours them into a blender and mixes them up. www.stagecenterla.com

Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike

NWLA Tourism

Shreveport

xxx

xxx

Allison invited two managers from a client company for dinner. They happily agreed.Allison suggested a date, time, and two comparable mid-range restaurant choices. Theclients then suggested they try a new and trendy restaurant. Wishing to be agreeable,Allison accepted the alternative restaurant and made the reservation for three. Thedisaster began unfolding.

The new, trendy restaurant was an upscale and expensive venue. The two managers arrivedwith a third person. When the waiter arrived, one of the guests ordered a bottle of expensivewine and several appetizers. For dinner, these three guests ordered the most expensive mealsthen ordered dessert and dessert drinks. What should have been an under $200 bill was over$600! What are the lessons to be learned from this true story?

Guest Rule #1: The payer is the rule maker. Your host, the person doing the inviting, pays forthe meal and therefore has the right to choose who attends and the price range. As a guestyou may not suggest a swankier restaurant or invite more people.

Guest Rule #2: Follow the host’s lead. If your host suggests an alcoholic drink then you mayorder one. You may not order a bottle of wine; that is your host’s prerogative. Order mid-priceitems unless your host suggests otherwise. Also, the host decides about appetizers, desserts,and other items.

Host Rule #1: Take charge of the venue. Choose a restaurant convenient for your guests, witha variety of foods, and in your approved price range. Visitthe restaurant in advance to choose a table, meet thewaiter, and explain your dinner plans, if appropriate. Yourwaiter can be your best friend in keeping the meal undercontrol.

Host Rule #2: Take charge of your wallet. Through sug-gestions, guide your guests through the dinner process. Ifsomeone mentions appetizers and you would rather not,simply say “I thought we would skip appetizers so we canindulge in dessert.” If you don’t drink alcohol but wouldlike your guests to enjoy a glass of wine, say “Although Idon’t drink, I thought you might like a glass of wine. Theyhave a good variety of wines by the glass.” Only a rubewould assume “glass” means a bottle.

Business dinners should be a pleasurable method tostrengthen relationships. Use common sense, be respect-ful and considerate, and stay attentive to your table matesto ensure everyone has a good time.

Business Etiquette

Teri HaynesOwner of Business Interactions, LLCEmployee trainer and business eti-quette coachwww.BusinessInteractions.Net

Rules for avoiding mistakes


Allison invited two managers from a client company for dinner. They happily agreed.Allison suggested a date, time, and two comparable mid-range restaurant choices. Theclients then suggested they try a new and trendy restaurant. Wishing to be agreeable,Allison accepted the alternative restaurant and made the reservation for three. Thedisaster began unfolding.

The new, trendy restaurant was an upscale and expensive venue. The two managers arrivedwith a third person. When the waiter arrived, one of the guests ordered a bottle of expensivewine and several appetizers. For dinner, these three guests ordered the most expensive mealsthen ordered dessert and dessert drinks. What should have been an under $200 bill was over$600! What are the lessons to be learned from this true story?

Guest Rule #1: The payer is the rule maker. Your host, the person doing the inviting, pays forthe meal and therefore has the right to choose who attends and the price range. As a guestyou may not suggest a swankier restaurant or invite more people.

Guest Rule #2: Follow the host’s lead. If your host suggests an alcoholic drink then you mayorder one. You may not order a bottle of wine; that is your host’s prerogative. Order mid-priceitems unless your host suggests otherwise. Also, the host decides about appetizers, desserts,and other items.

Host Rule #1: Take charge of the venue. Choose a restaurant convenient for your guests, witha variety of foods, and in your approved price range. Visitthe restaurant in advance to choose a table, meet thewaiter, and explain your dinner plans, if appropriate. Yourwaiter can be your best friend in keeping the meal undercontrol.

Host Rule #2: Take charge of your wallet. Through sug-gestions, guide your guests through the dinner process. Ifsomeone mentions appetizers and you would rather not,simply say “I thought we would skip appetizers so we canindulge in dessert.” If you don’t drink alcohol but wouldlike your guests to enjoy a glass of wine, say “Although Idon’t drink, I thought you might like a glass of wine. Theyhave a good variety of wines by the glass.” Only a rubewould assume “glass” means a bottle.

Business dinners should be a pleasurable method tostrengthen relationships. Use common sense, be respect-ful and considerate, and stay attentive to your table matesto ensure everyone has a good time.

Business Etiquette

Teri HaynesOwner of Business Interactions, LLCEmployee trainer and business eti-quette coachwww.BusinessInteractions.Net

Businessdinner disasterRules for avoiding mistakes


Chris JayPublic Relations and Social MediaManager, Shreveport Bossier Conven-tion and Tourist Bureau. He is amonthly contributor to Biz. Magazine.

He may be reached via email [email protected].

Lunch Break

Two years ago, when Chef Anthony Felanleft Shreveport for California, the farm-to-table movement hadn’t really arrived inShreveport-Bossier. Few restaurants wereserving locally sourced ingredients and itremained to be seen whether consumers

would demand it. There were a lot of connectionsthat still needed to be made between farmers,chefs and the general public. Slow Food NorthLouisiana, the very active (and awesome) localchapter of Slow Food USA with whom Felan hasworked closely, was beginning to establish thoseconnections.

“I spent a lot of my days off just driving around,in my chef coat, stopping at farms and gardensand just introducing myself,” Felan told me. A na-tive of Shreveport, Felan is a graduate of the Cali-fornia Culinary Academy Le Cordon Bleu of SanFrancisco. Prior to his recent stint in California, hewas the head chef at Wine Country Bistro, a posi-tion that he has recently returned to. For localfood lovers who know of Felan’s passionate advo-cacy for eating locally sourced food, his return is

exciting news.

I recently chatted with Chef Anthony about whatinspires him and what he has planned for his sec-ond tenure at Wine Country.

Q: What kinds of things can we look forward tofrom Wine Country? What are you excited aboutright now?

AF: I want Wine Country to be a destinationrestaurant, I want people to talk about what we’redoing here…once we get through the holiday sea-son, we’re gonna come out with guns blazing.We’ll hopefully be making our own fresh breadfor the restaurant. We’ll be doing our own wholebeast butchery. We’re gonna bring the Sous-videout. A lot of curing and preserving. We’re reallygoing to apply the concepts behind Slow Food tothis menu.

Q: Are there any chefs who’ve inspired whatyou’re doing?

AF: Sean Brock (of Charleston, South Carolinarestaurant Husk) paved the way for innovativeSouthern cuisine. We’ve got Chef Cory Bahr (ofacclaimed Monroe restaurants Restaurant Cottonand Nonna) right down I-20, which is a big inspi-ration because he’s doin’ it in Monroe. Seeingthese guys succeed in smaller towns makes yourealize that Louisiana has the capability to do[farm-to-table] in smaller towns, not just in NewOrleans.

Q: How would you say that Shreveport-Bossier in-fluences what’s on the plate?

AF: We have really great sweet potatoes here,great collard greens. The farmers’ market is big,there’s Bradley Sweetcorn and Mahaffey Farms‘pork – that’s the best pork that money can buy.There’s Flowing Hills Creamery, Lynn Plantationand Valencia Gardens. It’s about what ingredientsare in the area, and we have really, really goodstuff here.

The secondcoming

Wine Country Chef Anthony Felan returns for second go-around

Chris Jay reviews local food and previews events everyweek at www.20x49.com.

Photo by Chris JayA native of Shreveport, Chef Anthony Felan is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy Le Cordon Bleu of San Francisco.


CoHab

New Year’s resolutions are coming early for six Shreveport-Bossier-area startups an-nounced as the 2015 cohort of Cohab’s “Breaking Lean” program. The startups, an-nounced Thursday, Dec. 11 at Cohab’s Third Annual Chili Cook-Off, will be the firstgroup to participate in the program designed to help them grow quickly and put downstrong roots in northwest Louisiana.

“Breaking Lean is about helping our area’s most promising startups develop the strategy andconnections they need to not only be successful, but to grow and keep that success here inNorthwest Louisiana,” said Jessica Schiele, Cohab’s Director of Programs.

The 2015 Breaking Lean class will include:n Lynxus, a social news app that gives users a platform to share and request

pictures and videos of world events in real time.n Match My Monogram, an online resale marketplace for new or pre-loved

personalized items such as jewelry and monogramed clothing.n Panda Bit, a service helping charities host used electronics drives as a

fundraising mechanism.n Red River Brewing, a licensed and operating Shreveport microbrewery.n Tadpole Tape Cutter, a tape roll accessory that allows users to make a clean,

easy to use cut on everything from painter’s to packing tape.n And Wheresie, a child safety smart clip and app designed to prevent acci-

dents and save lives.

“There is so much exciting entrepreneurship happening here right now, and these are trulysome of the best and brightest startups around.” said Schiele. “We really just can’t wait to getto work helping them get the resources they need to be successful in Shreveport-Bossier.”

“Forget New Years. We’re getting started on those resolutions today.” She added.

Six startups picked for new incubator

CoHab kicks off‘Lean Startup’program


Spotlight

Technology innovator

Ieshea Jones, owner of Direnzic Technology & Consulting, LLC has been named one of the 2014 SiliconBayou 100, which recognizes the 100 most innovative, influential and active people in tech and entrepre-neurship in Louisiana. After a successful 10 year career as a Senior IT Program Manager at CenturyLink,the nation’s third largest telecommunications company, Certified Project Manager Professional (PMP),Jones decided it was time to venture out on her own. In 2011, she started Direnzic, the first and onlycyber security solutions and digital forensic company to provide dedicated hands-on personalized serv-

ices to both government and non-government agencies in Northeast Louisiana.

Direnzic’s goal is to increase awareness about cyber threats, as well as help others protect themselves frompotential cyber attacks by providing interactive seminars and cutting-edge solutions to mitigate theirchances of falling victim to cyber crime. Much of her business operations also encompasses the recovery andinvestigation of information found in digital devices, often in relation to high-tech crime investigation.

Housed in the Northeast Louisiana Business & Community Development Cen-ter (incubator), conveniently located on the campus of University of Louisianaat Monroe, Direnzic has experienced gradual success. Since last year, with thehelp of the LSBDC at ULM, her clientele has increased by 33% and sales havegrown by more than 45%. Jones has spearheaded several major endeavorsthat have contributed to much of her success which includes the design, devel-opment and implementation of a cyber security solution and framework for alarge-scale call center designed to employ 300 people, as well as managing aforensics case for one of the top community health centers in South Louisiana,which ultimately saved the company $250,000.

Direnzic is also leading the charge in the newly merging sciences of forensicsand cyber security by developing innovative solutions specific to this field.

Currently, Jones is developing and designing cybersecurity framework solutions for specific Business ProcessModels (BPM).

Jones, who has a bachelors in Computer Information Systems and a masters in Project Management, is pas-sionate about her profession and feels that it is incumbent upon her to help pave the way for future profes-sionals. She mentors up-and-coming IT/CS professionals and was integral in starting the local informationsecurity organization, InfoSec. As a sought after IT/CS thought-leader and expert, Jones frequently receivesrequests from University officials to participate in forums, panels, bootcamps and other community engage-ment activities to share the importance of this growing and ever-changing field. Additionally, Jones and hercolleagues at InfoSec are also working to create scholarships for NELA’s future IT/CS professionals.

In addition to the initiative and leadership displayed when starting and now growing her company, Jones’community involvement and accomplishments are vast. She is a 2014 Northeast Louisiana Top 20 Under 40Young Professional, graduate of Leadership Ouachita, a Diplomat with the West Monroe Chamber of Com-merce and an Ambassador with the Monroe Chamber of Commerce.

She sits on several boards including the NELA Chapter of Project Management Institute, non-profit Against AllOdds and Living Gospel Church. She is also an active memxber of Infragard, an association of persons whorepresent businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies, and other participantsdedicated to sharing information and intelligence to prevent hostile acts against the U.S., NELA INFOSEC,NELA Young Professionals and volunteer reader with the NELA United Way.

This article was submitted from the LSBDC.

Area business owner named one of the 2014 Silicon Bayou 100


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biz magazine - january, 2015

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