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Richard Gonzmart
Columbia Restaurant Group
A fourth-generation CEO or what we would call “ Chief Visionary Officer ” of the Columbia Restaurant Group , Richard Gonzmart has been placing Tampa Bay a priority for years . His vision , compassion , and tenacity have earned him and the CRG team more than 100 awards in the Bay area . He has been officially named a Luminary , a Visionary and a Philanthropist of the Year as well as the Father of the year , Hispanic Man of the Year , Businessman of the Year , Alumni of the Year and Outstanding Citizen of the Year .
A true Mover and Shaker in Tampa Bay !
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Richard has been inducted into four Hall of Fames and selected as Entrepreneur of the Year by the USF Alumni Society of Entrepreneurs . He currently serves and serves on many non-profit boards and organizations . He is passionate about the education of our youth and in finding a cure for cancer . One of his famous quotes to a reporter was , “ I ’ m not just a person that walks around in a suit , shaking hands . I wake up at 1:30 a . m ., wear blue jeans and start working ".
What is your favorite quote ? “ I want to be thoroughly used up when I die , for the harder I work the more I live . I rejoice in life for its own sake . Life is no ‘ brief candle ’ for me . It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment , and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations .” – George Bernard Shaw
What would the closest person in your life say if we asked them , what is the one characteristic that they totally dig about you , and the one that drives them insane ? I hope my wife Melanie would say she loves how much I love her . She ’ s the love of my life . Last year I named a private label wine for her . We ’ ve been married for 43 years . I met her when I was 15 and she was 13 ( although we didn ’ t marry then !).
I work a lot . I ’ m ADD and dyslexic . So Melanie and others might see that as frustrating . I consider it an advantage to help me keep so many simultaneous projects in the works , as well as being forced to see things differently . As for the hours , I ’ m trying to be better at that – even if it ’ s just working after Melanie goes to sleep . I go to sleep earlier and wake up about the time she ’ s going to bed .
What time does a normal day start for you and what are the first three things you do every day ? I don ’ t sleep much , maybe three to four hours nightly . I normally wake up at 2 a . m . or so . I try to spend those first few quiet hours thinking , considering … preparing for the day . I ’ ll post something on Facebook or Instagram . Then I start answering the hundreds of emails I get daily . After that , I ’ m still usually the first one in the office pretty early in the morning .
What are your top five attributes to success ? 1 . Learn from your parents ( and everyone and everywhere ). 2 . Believe in yourself . 3 . Work hard every day . 4 . Share your vision relentlessly and frequently . 5 . Surround yourself with good people .
What would be your best advice to a new business owner ? Don ’ t worry about how many hours you work . If it ’ s not fun , you ’ re in the wrong business .
How do you decide your restaurant concepts ? Well , my family started the 112-year-old Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City . So I seem drawn to concepts that are tied to history and heritage and family , such as buying and bringing back Goody Goody . It was the first drive-in east of the Mississippi . It opened in 1925 and closed in 2005 . We reopened it to great success in Hyde Park Village in August 2016 .
Do you have any new concepts coming to Tampa Bay soon ?