On this episode of Run the Pass, host and Executive Chef Andre Natera brought in Chef Omar Flores to talk about the Texas food scene, his impressive career, how to scale restaurants, and the changes that will stick after COVID-19.

Flores grew up in El Paso, and his family always had restaurants. His parents owned small Mexican restaurants with authentic vibes. Flores flew from the desert and headed east, where he attended the Culinary Institute Of America In New York.

When he got back to Texas, he worked in Dallas, he met Tre Wilcox and Chef Kent Rathbun, and worked at the iconic Abacus. The restaurant closed in 2019, but Flores noted the impact it had on his career. He left Abacus for Driftwood (also now closed), a seafood restaurant, where he earned some accolades and made a name for himself.

While he initially didn’t want to start a Mexican restaurant, his roots called him back. He opened up Whistle Britches, which is fried chicken with a Mexican twist. They are opening up a third in Southlake this spring. He also owns Muchacho, which is opening up a location in Southlake, as well.

He looked at a restaurant as a chef for a long time but now looks at it as a business. He talked about the challenges of being a young chef trying to turn a profit off a restaurant. His perspective certainly changed over the years, as he learned what it means to run successful restaurants.