our biz: PROFESSIONAL WISDOM
Talk
with the
Business Titans
Mike Ballinger –
General Manager & Owner, Boiling Cajun Shrimp
44
PARKER COUNTY TODAY:
What do you do in your day to
day?
MIKE BALLINGER: A lot goes
into managing a restaurant.
My day starts at about 9 a.m.,
getting things ready for lunch
service. I occasionally help with
food prep and cooking, but
that’s usually on Wednesdays
and weekends. We average
10-15 employees. I taste every-
thing we make daily, like all
the soups and sauces. A lot of
time is spent checking up on the
employees and making sure all
their side jobs are done. I do all
the restaurant marketing, menu
work and updates. If a particular
item on the menu isn’t meet-
ing sales expectations, it gets
scrapped and I add something
new. And last but not least,
checking up on the custom-
ers, both at the restaurant and
online, all day and night until I
go home. My work week is still
50 to 60 hours. It’s literally like
juggling oranges or spinning
plates, but I enjoy what I do.
One thing I don’t have to worry
about is payroll, I have a partner
that takes care of that.
BY MISTY BROWNING