Exploring Life & Business with Ricardo Sandoval of Fat Cats restaurant

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ricardo Sandoval.

Ricardo, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I bought the building/restaurant in 1997 with the idea of opening a restaurant in the Tremont neighborhood that was home to many galleries and studios..an artist haven … we opened with a small menu with few customers. My partner Tim and I wanted a restaurant/bar that was available to everybody. Over the years we’ve developed relationships with farmers, local purveyors…… believing, sourcing and buying locally as much as possible. We area scratch kitchen(we make most everything).. I’m half Filipino so part of the menu reflects my heritage . We have a herb/vegetable garden next to the restaurant. This essentially gives every dish an additional touch of flavor. The longevity of our business is how we take care of/listen to our customers, put the best products on the table and have the right staff to execute this vision. This must be done everyday.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The beginning was tough… few customers . We built our Business on Word of mouth. The financial crisis of 2008 was very tough. Financial lending dried up. . The Covid crisis was probably the most difficult time. If you didn’t have a lot of regulars, which basically means customers that believed in you, then you basically didn’t make it. Always take care of your customers

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I’m the chef owner of Fat Cats. I believe the financial aspect of the restaurant business escapes many people, and that’s why they fail. I purchased the building which houses my restaurant and bar so my costs were fixed. I believe most people are over leveraged when they sign their lease with the expense of building and the expense of rent.
As the chef owner, I create the menus that we serve seasonally. I also work with the staff and executing the beverage program, making sure that both are fresh and seasonal. We are at fully scratch kitchen working with local, farmers and artisans. I believe in supporting local. over 90% of the beers are from the state of Ohio. We work with farmers from Kinsman Ohio to Oberlin. We are a full service restaurant. We’ve been in bon Appetit magazine, food and wine magazine, the New York Times and triple D recently.
I’m proud of our longevity in the restaurant business, 29 years.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Make sure you understand everything before signing a lease. Undercapitalized businesses usually fail quickly. Give 110 % to your business the first year …no vacations!
I wish I knew how the financial markets operated a little more…. some of the more unsavory practices they do. I basically learned that on the way. Don’t be trusting!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fatcatstremont.com
• Instagram: fatcatstremont
• Facebook: Fat Cats