Dish Society
Dish Society is counter service for breakfast, lunch, and brunch, and full service for supper and social hour. Dedicated to using the highest quality and freshest ingredients possible, dish society sources a majority of its items locally from suppliers. The all-day diner turns out a seasonally changing menu with healthful modern twists on traditional favorites. in addition to the robust coffee program, guests can enjoy healthful juices and elixirs, a rotating selection of local craft beers, an approachable wine list, and hand crafted cocktails served in a modern industrial atmosphere.
SWOON: Aaron, what inspired you to get in the restaurant business?
I’m not one of those people who grew up dreaming about opening their own restaurant. I had never really even worked in a restaurant prior to opening Dish Society. For me it was about meeting a need that I didn’t think was being adequately met. It was born from my own desire to eat chef driven, consciously sourced food in an approachable way and the frustration of not really being able to find that. I wanted to create a neighborhood gathering spot that I would want to regularly frequent myself. A place that not only had great food, but also great drinks, coffee, and an awesome atmosphere.
SWOON: What would you say is the key to run such a successful restaurant business like DISH?
You have to run it like a business and not just like a restaurant. You have to put your ego aside and be super tuned in to what your customers want and then deliver that consistently. A lot of really great restaurants fail because they don’t understand or apply fundamental business concepts. Equally important is the people you hire to represent your business. It’s the biggest challenge we constantly face, along with all other restaurants, but it can really make or break you.
SWOON: How do you describe the restaurant?
Dish Society is a casual neighborhood restaurant that serves a seasonal farm to table menu with modern takes on traditional favorites with a southern influence. We source everything we can locally and only partner with suppliers who share our commitment to quality and sustainability. We offer counter service for breakfast, lunch, and brunch and full service during dinner. We have an awesome bar with local craft beer, great wines, and fantastic craft cocktails.
SWOON: You have Tanglewood, Katy and Memorial location- any others on the horizon?
We’re opening downtown this summer and The Heights in the fall. Beyond that we’re looking at a couple of other Houston locations and other markets as well.
SWOON: Where is your favorite hang-out spot around Houston when your with your family? and why?
We’re members at the zoo and all of the museums and go pretty often. I love trying new restaurants and hanging out at the house with family. I’m also a member at CrossFit Memorial and enjoy burning off steam through intense workouts. Helps me stay balanced.
SWOON: What would you say was your ideal job/work when you were a teenager?
My first job as a teenager was at a golf course picking up golf balls from the driving range and I was in heaven. Back then I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I’ve always been an entrepreneur and knew whatever I ended up doing it was going to be something I created and was passionate about.
SWOON: What is your MUST-HAVE menu option at DISH?
The new wedge salad we just added is something I find myself craving pretty frequently. Other than that I eat breakfast at one of our locations every day. I absolutely love everything on our breakfast menu. The pork belly hash is probably my favorite. I also think our tortilla soup is the best in town.
