Ray Mabalot shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Ray , it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
We love riding motorcycles. We have a Harley Street Glide and Softail Slim
We just got back from a trip riding around Montana and then went to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My Wife Nikki and I (Ray) own and operate Mouthole Smashburgers and Bbq est. In June of 2014. We started out as a pop up food vendor and bought a food trailer a few years into our journey. We did the food truck and brewery circuit for over 9 years. 2 years ago we decided to try our hand at a restaurant location and havent looked back. We bring the same no nonsense energy as we had in the food truck to the restaurant and people love us for that. Our Smashburgers are available Wednesday-Saturday and are always fresh and cooked to order. We go back to our roots and add Bbq to the menu on Fridays and Saturdays. We have 14 Burgers on the menu. Each with its own flavor profile. We do daily specials and see many people multiple times a week. Our Bbq menu has stayed pretty consistent over the years. If it ain’t broke….we dont fix it. From the food to the decor of the restaurant….it reflects exactly who we are. The food always comes 1st for us. Everything will always be as fresh as possible. As tasty as possible. As consistent as possible. Customer service comes 2nd. We’re a very casual dine in/ grab and go. We’re not equipped for full service and dont even try. When you come to our spot. You will hate or love us. If you hate us, chances are you’ll love the food and still come back. Obviously most people definitely love as you can see by the interaction we get from our social media posts and reviews.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My Wife Nikki. She’s saved me in more ways than I can ever explain. She’s pushed me over the years and helped make Mouthole what it is today. She always has faith and supports everything I do and say. Even if im wrong.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Before our current location. We had another spot we were working out of for 5-6 months. Things did not goes as planned there and I felt We should just stay a food truck. But we found our current location in Gulfgate and opened for service 3 weeks later. A lot of the Gulfgate community have been our regulars for years. It was a great move for us.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Very much so. We dont put on fake smiles etc etc. Sometimes we hurt feelings. Sometimes we make people upset. We give 0 fucks about it. You always get the real Ray and Nikki . We’re an anomaly in the service industry. The customer isnt always right. We do it our way end of story and our customers love us.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most as peace when the restaurant is full, we’re behind on the 50 tickets on the board and my kitchen help is messing up everything he touches. Even though the stress is high and its a chaotic mess. I know that day has been paid for. I know bills are getting paid. I know our lifestyle remains the same. This brings me peace. Knowing we’re secure doing something we love when restaurants have been closing left and right.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Mouthole.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mouthole_smashburgersandbbq?igsh=MWV5ZHFkZnowNW9zaw==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19bjEnDZ1u/
