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Eddie Jackson's career started with football, but it's food that powers him now.
Famous chef Jacksonknown for appearing in Food Networkhas successfully transformed his culinary talents into a thriving food business model that combines creativity, mentorship and efficient operations.
Although Jackson grew up around chefs and food, his adult journey began when a young college athlete tried to cash in on a Pre-NILE era.
He knew his way around the kitchen, so he cooked for his college football teammates out of the kindness of his heart and passion for cooking. Eventually, his father convinced him to create a menu and charge teammates, a precursor to the catering business he started after playing. career was complete.
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From there, Jackson made his television debut Master Chefa cooking competition show on Fox hosted by Gordon Ramsay.
Two years later, Jackson saw an ad in the Food Network for her competitive cooking show Food Network Starwhich also gives winners a chance to become a Food Network personality. Jackson won his season and has become a staple of the channel. He is currently waiting Out boss and has a recurring place in seasonal shows such as The Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Jackson's journey to celebrity culinary stardom is also thanks to the invaluable mentorship he received from the celebrity chef and Food Network star Bobby Flay. Their relationship began when Jackson was a contestant on Food Network Starand Flay's advice left a lasting impression.
“Bobby Flay has been a huge mentor to me,” Jackson says. “You keep being your authentic self; you're going to win. That's what he said. And that's just 100% what I did and I ended up winning.”
This authenticity continues to define Jackson's approach to both cooking and business.
As the owner of Rose Hill Beer Garden in Cypress, Texas, Jackson has embraced the dynamic world of food trucks, using it as a testing ground for new concepts. Such an undertaking is Eddie's Burgersa food truck specializing in Texas Wagyu beef, locally sourced ingredients and dishes made from scratch. Eddie's Burgers has become a hit, selling out every day.
“It gives you more freedom to be creative… I built through a food truck that only cost me about $30,000 instead of $200,000 or $250,000 to go into a brick and mortar and not know anything,” Jackson says. . “The beauty of a food truck is that it gives you the opportunity to see if your product works or not.”
Implementing the Toast utility suite
In addition to his creative and authentic culinary approach, Jackson has also focused on improving operations at Rose Hill Beer Garden. The implementation of toast system has been a game changer for Jackson. Although he initially only used Toast for POS, Jackson soon realized its full potential in integrating payroll, inventory, and other operational aspects into one cohesive system.
“Now that we've upgraded everything with Toast, I think it's a lot better,” he says.
Jackson's story is one of passion, mentorship and savvy business practices, making him not just a chef, but a successful entrepreneur who continues to innovate and inspire in the culinary world.
And his parting advice for aspiring entrepreneurs? “Be true to yourself and be as authentic as you can with who you are.”
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