Episode 614: Built from Scratch: Chris Moran on How Bullet Grill House Became a Lake-Town Anchor

Wil sits down with Chris Moran, owner of Bullet Grill House in Point Blank, Texas—an hour north of Houston by Lake Livingston. Chris traces a winding path from teenage shifts at Big Boy to Pizza Hut GM postings across the Midwest, a pivot into automotive/oil & gas, and a “nights-and-weekends” stint at Ted’s Montana Grill that rekindled his hospitality bug. In 2019, he and his wife built Bullet Grill House from raw land—doing much of the interior themselves, debt-light by cashing out savings. After a strong first summer, COVID hit; they pivoted fast to curbside, takeout, and discounted beer/wine to-go—ironically exceeding February sales in April 2020. Since opening, they’ve posted year-over-year growth.

Chris walks through lessons learned: keep operations simple and reliable (including moving back to Schedulefly), obsess over service consistency, and keep a close eye on vendor pricing. He’s grown the space with “McBullets,” a hidden-door Irish-style speakeasy room, and leverages their 4.4-acre lot to host the East Texas Showdown bikepacking event that brings 200+ riders each spring. While expansion is tempting, he’s focused on protecting the “mothership,” staffing depth, and community hospitality that turn first-timers into regulars.

Key Takeaways

1. Nonlinear path pays off: Early chain experience + manufacturing “lean” mindset shaped Bullet’s processes.
   
   
2. Built, not bought: They acquired raw land and did much of the buildout themselves, staying (initially) debt-light to survive the early years.
   
   
3. COVID pivot that stuck: Curbside + discounted beer/wine to-go drove April 2020 sales above pre-shutdown February and introduced future dine-in guests.
   
   
4. Simple > shiny: Switching away from Schedulefly for “bells & whistles” backfired; they returned to what’s stable and staff-friendly.
   
   
5. Watch your vendors: Distributor pricing can drift—tight, ongoing monitoring protects food cost.
   
   
6. Staff for service, not just cost: Slight overstaffing can be a strategic advantage in remote markets and for guest experience.
   
   
7. Grow inside your four acres: Added a speakeasy-style back room (“McBullets”) and use back acreage for events/camping/overflow instead of opening a second unit.
   
   
8. Anchor community events: Hosting the East Texas Showdown (180–380 mile routes) fills the lot, sells serious calories, and cements local relevance.
   
   
9. Brand clarity matters: Shifting perception from “biker bar next door” to full-service family restaurant took intentional service, menu, and messaging.
   
   
10. Cautious about expansion: Protecting the core location and culture outweighs the allure of a second unit right now.