Today we’d like to introduce you to Dominique Maddox.
Dominique, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I learned at an early age, being poor and living in poverty has several negative outcomes on families. My earliest childhood memories are filled with pain, struggle, domestic violence, drug abuse, and an unstable household. Most of my childhood memories up to 3rd grade, I wish I could delete from my memory because they involve pain and tears.
My childhood taught me to be humble and appreciate what you have, no matter the amount. I can remember the embarrassment I felt getting donated food from food pantries and Churches, shopping with food stamps, wearing hand me down clothes, and going to neighbors or family members’ homes asking for food. My grandmother Mary Maddox moved up to Anchorage, Alaska, in 1990 to adopt my siblings and me because we were in the Alaska child welfare system. My grandmother did the best she could to raise us right, but she was up against unbeatable odds.
The War on Drugs in 1980-1990’s lured many African Americans within the criminal justice system with an ensuing impact on African American children. My life up through my teenage years was really about an African American boy that beat the odds growing up during the Crack Epidemic that ruined tons of families. The environment I grew up in most households was affected by family members suffering from drug addiction, family members selling drugs, friends selling drugs, gang influence and family members getting incarcerated.
I made my share of choices and decisions that could have easily put me in jail. I was using my environment as an excuse to justify my behavior. Luckily while I was making poor decisions in the streets, I played high school football, I looked up during my Junior and Senior years and I was starting to dominate the competition. I set the Alaska state record for most rushing yards in a game with 395 yards and won two State Championships. I received a football scholarship to Morehouse College and graduated with a Business Management Degree and joined Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.
In November 2019, I became the Founder and President of EATS Restaurant Brokers and www.EATSbrokers.com, a business brokerage firm specializing exclusively in restaurant franchise resales, restaurants for sale, bars and nightclubs. After working with one of the nation’s largest restaurant brokerage firms for seven years, I decided it was time to bring a new flavor to the Restaurant Brokerage Industry and founded EATS Restaurant Brokers.
I opened up the 1st Black-Owned Restaurant Brokerage Firm in the state of Georgia and one of the few in the nation. It was important to me to be a symbol of hope for any child raised in a similar background; anything is possible. Something remarkable is worth talking about!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My journey has been anything but smooth. It has been filled with obstacles and setbacks. One of the biggest obstacles has been the financial commitment to start a business from scratch in the Business Brokerage Industry. It takes an average of six to eight months to sell a restaurant, a Broker can easily go two to three months without closing a deal and receiving a commission check. I’ve had to make sacrifices and reduce my spending on unessential items to fund my business.
Another obstacle was finding a professional to build my website to provide my brand with a great image at a reasonable price. In my 1st draft of my website, I used a website provider based out of India for a great price of only $2000. My website was live for one week before I started having problems. My website worked for three weeks before disappearing online. I tried to contact my website provider and he never responded back or provided me a refund. I found another website developer paid much more, but I now have a great operating website.
I’ve spent countless hours cold calling restaurant owners, sending emails, sending mailers, and networking to get restaurant seller leads. Branding myself on social media and blogging has been time-consuming but is paying off. The marketing aspect of my business as a Restaurant Brokerage has been a challenging learning experience. The state of Georgia has less than five Restaurant Brokerage firms. With so much opportunity, I know I can be successful.
EATS Restaurant Brokers – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
EATS Restaurant Brokers are Restaurant Resale Specialists that can guide you through the complex process of buying or selling a restaurant. EATS Restaurant Brokers is a full-service Real Estate Business Brokerage practice focused on the restaurant industry. Our company specializes in selling Restaurant Franchise Resales and Restaurant Sales. We also help clients with Restaurant real estate site selection, Tenant Representation, Franchise Consulting, and Business Price Evaluation.
We exclusively sell restaurants, bars and nightclubs. We are happy to answer any questions about restaurant pricing and valuations, exit strategies, bank financing or any other subjects related to the purchase or sale of a restaurant.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me would be to make EATS Restaurant Brokers a brokerage that I could give African-Americans or minorities the opportunity to learn the Restaurant Brokerage Industry. I want to build a platform that provides education and support for individuals who have an interest in Business Brokerage specializing in restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.EATSbrokers.com
- Phone: 4049934448
- Email: sales@eatsbrokers.com
- Instagram: restaurant_broker
- Facebook: EATS Restaurant Brokers
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