Wil sits down with Chris Moran, owner of Bullet Grill House in Point Blank, Texas—an hour north of Houston by Lake Livingston. Chris traces a winding path from teenage shifts at Big Boy to Pizza Hut GM postings across the Midwest, a pivot into automotive/oil & gas, and a “nights-and-weekends” stint at Ted’s Montana Grill that rekindled his hospitality bug. In 2019, he and his wife built Bullet Grill House from raw land—doing much of the interior themselves, debt-light by cashing out savings. After a strong first summer, COVID hit; they pivoted fast to curbside, takeout, and discounted beer/wine to-go—ironically exceeding February sales in April 2020. Since opening, they’ve posted year-over-year growth.

Chris walks through lessons learned: keep operations simple and reliable (including moving back to Schedulefly), obsess over service consistency, and keep a close eye on vendor pricing. He’s grown the space with “McBullets,” a hidden-door Irish-style speakeasy room, and leverages their 4.4-acre lot to host the East Texas Showdown bikepacking event that brings 200+ riders each spring. While expansion is tempting, he’s focused on protecting the “mothership,” staffing depth, and community hospitality that turn first-timers into regulars.

Key Takeaways