What’s the secret of success for Punch Bowl Social CEO Robert Thompson? He sat down with Money Magazine to share some of his insight and lessons-learned.
Thompson’s path of challenges and rewards has led him to his current role as CEO of Punch Bowl Social, named a “Breakout Brand” by Nation’s Restaurant News in 2015. Founded in Denver in 2012, Punch Bowl Social is on target to have 10 locations nationwide by the end of 2016, including a new post in the old Stapleton airport control tower. The selection of the abandoned space underscores Thompson’s real estate savvy and the age-old adage, “location, location, location.”
Thompson recalls a tough, but critically important lesson that he learned – “Good concepts can’t overcome bad real estate.” While he says that failure is an important part of his success, he also credits his “irrational stubborness” and the fact that he loves the hospitality industry – and hates it a little bit, too.
