Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Cole McKay.
Hi Ryan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Our family has always enjoyed hosting parties and making food for friends and family. For about 10 years my Dad, Keith, would always make Neapolitan-style pizza for our company and we would experiment with different methods of making the dough. After years of being told that we needed to share our pizza with the public, we decided to look for a potential spot to operate.
That’s when we were put into contact with Karen Ingram, owner of Riven Rock Ranch. The ranch was perfectly equipped with 3 wood-fired ovens and an exquisite view. So, we decided to perform pop-up openings in 2019/2020 but were put on the back burner for much of 2020 due to Covid-19. In late 2020, we decided to go for it and open it to the public every weekend. We officially opened in January 2021 and that’s where our journey began. In the beginning, we had no clue how to operate a restaurant. Our family has always been into sports; my Dad played professional Tennis and my two sisters and I played Division 1 sports so this is a completely new industry for us. Luckily, we have some great friends and staff that eased our entrance into the space.
My long-time friend, Jason Reitmeier, I hired as our head chef and he has truly been a blessing for us with managing our menu. He is a true talent when it comes to cooking and kitchen operations. We are also very grateful for all of the people that come out to support us and eat our food, we truly have some great regulars that come every weekend and have expanded upon our business. Today, we still are open every Friday and Saturday and a large portion of our income comes from catering events which is our main focus for growth along with our public openings.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Our road conditions have not been smooth, to say the least. As I aforementioned, we had no clue how to operate in the food and beverage industry from the start. But, our journey has smoothened out in the past year thanks to some great conversations with other restaurant owners and our incredible staff that contribute loads to our business.
They have been a wonderful addition to our family and are treated as such. A big struggle we have encountered with having a business in a small town is staffing, we are always looking for more people to join our La Calabria team.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At La Calabria, we serve wood-fired Neapolitan pizza along with handmade pasta and a delightful appetizer/dessert lineup. We have some very talented chefs that have a great passion for cooking. As for myself, I am new to the business management world having played baseball throughout college which was a large part of my life for a long time.
I try to put a large emphasis on making sure our staff is taken care of. Without them, we would not be still operating, so I have loads of respect for our team and the time they put into our business. My Mom and Dad are an essential part of our team as well, I can’t put into words how much they do for the restaurant and I am blessed to have such a great home base. Anybody that works or has worked in the restaurant industry knows how stressful it can get, especially if you are popular.
I feel like we have done a great job creating a relaxed atmosphere and investing time into our relationships with our customers. My Mom, Dad, and I have created an interesting brand in the hill country, I say interesting because we believe in complete transparency with our staff and customers. This is not very traditional in regards to the professional mindset in the restaurant industry but we feel like it’s best to be true to yourself and whatever happens, happens for a reason.
So, we are still taking it a day at a time but are enjoying every step along the way. Our family puts a lot of emphasis on our relationship with Jesus so through a lot of prayer and meditation we progress.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I don’t know if I would be considered successful, it’s tough for me to define the word precisely. However, like any business, I work hard at building healthy relationships with our employees, customers, and fellow business owners.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lacalabriapizzeria.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lacalabriapizzeria/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaCalabriaPizzeria
