18 Nov 2013 Beef 'O' Brady's: Sons carrying on mother's legacy
by Callie Sterling
Austin and Alex Jones have surpassed expectations as the new co-owners of Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in Maumelle.
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is a popular spot with a fun atmosphere for people of all ages. The Maumelle location of the franchise was opened July 26, 2003.
Rebecca Jones, former Beef ‘O’ Brady’s owner, left the ownership to her two sons, Alex and Austin Jones, when she passed away in June. She had been battling colon cancer since February 2011.
Although Austin and Alex are not new employees of Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, the responsibilities of owning a restaurant are new.
They have had a lot of help and encouragement from their family and friends. “Our family has been the best support system through everything,” Austin said. Support is exactly what they have needed since losing their mother and gaining great responsibilities.
“The transition has been a big learning experience,” Austin said. “In April of this year we went down to Tampa, Fla., for corporate training for one month.”
The new experience is exciting, however it can be challenging. “The hardest thing about taking over ownership is learning everything step by step,” Austin said. “Being 23 years old and having 80 percent of the staff being older than me is a challenge.” Alex is 21 years old.
The management is what has made Beef ‘O’ Brady’s successful. They have always had a strong management team that has helped train a strong staff as a result. “My mom put in 70 hours a week sometimes and didn’t put up with anything that was less than her standards,” Austin said. “This restaurant was her fourth baby, as she called it. Her employees loved and respected her.”
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s currently employees 22 people at the Maumelle location.
Austin and Alex have been doing renovations recently, such as installing new televisions, painting and removing carpet to install new flooring. Austin hopes to purchase a 70-inch television soon.
The brothers are preparing for March Madness, which is the busiest time of the year for the restaurant. “We were checking numbers the other day and sales for the month of March this year were up 10 percent,” Austin said. “We want for those numbers to continue to rise, and our goal is to get this place back where it needs to be. My mom was sick for a long time and of course that was our family’s focus, but now we want to really work on the restaurant and making it the best it can be.”
In the future, Austin hopes to save money and eventually open more businesses. He would like to open a GNC as well as tanning salons.
The young men show great maturity, wisdom and strength with the new challenge that they have been given. They want to carry on their mother’s legacy by continuing to make Beef ‘O’ Brady’s successful.
“Our mother was the strongest woman I have ever met,” Austin said. “She was strong mentally and physically.”
