Island Grill is a Mediterranean favorite in the Houston restaurant scene, known for their famous smoothies and tasty American Mediterranean dishes. The comfortable, family friendly environment will keep you coming back and has earned glowing reviews from hundreds of satisfied customers. We sat down with owner Faysal Haddad and asked a few questions to get to know a little about him.
SWOON: Faysal, what inspired you to begin a restaurant business in 2000?
My wife and I were actually in the restaurant business before Island Grill; we opened a Greek restaurant in what used to be Sharpstown Mall in the 90’s. We had absolutely no experience, no college education and barely two pennies to rub together but we knew we had to succeed for the future of our family. The mall’s popularity ended up going down due to external factors. We decided to take what we learned and open another concept in 2000. That is when Island Grill was created! Do not be fooled though, Island Grill started as a juice and vitamin bar and it was not totally successful at first. After the first year of constant struggling, we hit fight or flight mode and added food.
What would you say is the key to run such a successful restaurant business like yours?
There are so many parts that go into running a successful business. If I had to pick one key to being successful in the restaurant business, I would pick care. Care for your customers, care about your food, care about your quality and care about your employees. I never forget that my customers are the reason why we are here today; we have customers that we have seen grow up, get married and have children. We even have some customers that come in and seat their kids where they would sit years prior, it is amazing! We have employees that have been with us since before Island Grill was even an idea. We keep the quality of our food of the utmost importance as well. We serve what we would feed our kids.
Do you consider Island Grill to be a “Heath Conscious” restaurant?
“Health” is pretty relative in my opinion; I like to say we are ‘quality conscious’. We actually started cooking with extra virgin olive oil before it became popular! I can thank my Syrian roots for that one. I also like to use the word “flexible” because our menu is very customizable and our concept is built on accommodation. Anyone can come in and fill their void for health with whatever they please!
What ‘s your favorite memory as a child in Syria?
My favorite memory in Syria? That is a hard one my gosh. I would say my favorite memory is playing soccer in the streets with the kids in our neighborhood. We would be outside for hours; we would have to be forced to go inside!
Where’s your favorite hang-out spot around Houston when your with your family? and why?
My favorite hangout spot in Houston is my home! Boring answer but it’s the truth! It’s nice to relax and have the family all in the same place. It is also a reminder of how hard we have worked to achieve this American Dream.
What would you say was your ideal job/work when you were a teenager?
When I was a teenager, I wanted to play soccer professionally. It was a dream of mine actually! It’s a bit different in Syria. People do not choose what they want to do; kids take a test and based on their score, they get placed into a “major”. Either way, soccer was my dream job!
What ‘s your MUST-HAVE menu option?
The must-have option at Island Grill has to be the chicken pita. It is just too good to never try. It’s actually our most popular item and what put us on the map in Houston.
