Perfectly Frank with Tarah Morris
Episode Summary
About Our Guest
Today on the podcast is Tarah Morris, the owner of Perfectly Frank in Norfolk, Virginia. Perfectly Frank is a “one size fits all” restaurant, making not only delicious hot dogs, but also a mouthwatering menu of grilled chicken, homemade chili, melts, burgers, and milkshakes. But the food is not the only thing attracting customers far and wide. Tarah’s huge heart and everything she has overcome this past year are the focus of this beautiful story.
Show Notes
Tarah began her career in the restaurant industry at 14. She waited tables before purchasing a business of her own, and began the process of franchising. Tarah tells Christine why she ultimately decided to scale back in favor of the small, hometown feel she enjoyed by having only one location, and how the pandemic made her realize that this was truly the right decision for her. Even though her world had crashed because of COVID-19, Tarah shares how she used this as an opportunity to do good and give back to her community. Tarah’s story is a testament to what a fearless leader she is. By opening her heart and her kitchen, she has inspired an entire community to come together through fundraising, push forward, and provide delicious food for those in need – no questions asked.
A quick visit to meet Tarah in person (food, atmosphere and employees were amazing)
Franks for Friends is such an incredible program!
Episode Highlights:
Tarah’s background in the restaurant industry and how she started her own business
Her informal business approach
Perfectly Frank’s extensive menu
Tarah’s experience as the pandemic hit and how it affected Perfectly Frank
Turning COVID-19 into an opportunity to give back and feed her community
Tarah’s decision not to franchise and how the pandemic made her realize it was ultimately the best thing she could have done
Perfectly Frank’s’ fundraising community
Tarah’s advice for entrepreneurs who doubt whether they can succeed
Quotes:
“We expanded a little bit. We started franchising and opened a couple more storefronts, but I hated it because it took the personal element out of it. I didn't want to bounce back and forth between all these locations - I wanted to get to know my customers.
“At Perfectly Frank, it's just so full of personality and the customers are a huge part of what makes us the way we are.”
“I've always run my business with my heart and the way it felt, and it’s kind of scary because I don't know a lot about the numbers and why things are the way they are in the paperwork, but I just keep moving and it works out.”
“We fall into this group where we don't have backing behind us like McDonald's or Chick-fil-A or Wendy’s. We're not a big franchise… We're kind of in this weird niche where our prices are pretty cheap. You can come to eat there for seven to ten dollars, but we don't get a lot of the perks that these big chains get. So yeah, I was nervous. And I felt comfort that we weren't alone, but it was like, I don't have anybody behind me holding me up.”
“I worked eighty hours a week. I was there all day, every day. I was cooking, doing curbside, you know, whatever it took to stay open.”
“The board that you posted outside says, ‘If you're broke and hungry, we got you. One free meal per customer per day, no questions asked.’”
“Honestly, we don't even know, when we're cooking, if they are paying a customer or not. It doesn't matter. They're treated just like anybody else.”
“We've also put out there, the meal doesn't even have to be for you. It could be for your neighbor. Maybe your neighbor is sitting on his porch, disabled, and you just bring him a hot meal.”
“What's wild is that you start this business, you're in the industry, you're waiting tables, you take on this business. It morphs, it grows. Then total catastrophe hits. This awful, awful, horrible thing hits, and you don't know what to do, you don't know where to go, you don't know where you can get help from. And then you turn it all around and you start thinking, Okay, well I'm going to give out to the community. I'm going to do good. I'm going to give back because I can, and that's what I want to do.”
“This catastrophe, this pandemic, as many bad things as it is it has brought out, it helped me realize that I made the right decision by following my heart, because right now, what's happening, is exactly why I wanted it to not be this big franchise thing. This is what I love about it.”
“I think that if you are a hard worker, and you have good intentions, and you have everyone's best interest in mind, and you’re fair, I think that no matter what you try to do…you'll succeed.”
Links:
Follow The Give Back Model Podcast on Instagram @thegivebackmodel
You can learn more about Tarah’s incredible journey (and menu!) at Perfectly-Frank.com