BILLY BRICKS

“Why do you keep growing?” I get that question a lot. Because the truth is — growth doesn’t always mean more income… at least not right away. It usually means: More headaches More compliance More permits More licenses More team members More leases Just… more of everything. So why do it? Because I always come back to the same question: Why did you start in the first place? Wasn’t it to share your version of hospitality? Your take on food? Your spin on something you believed the market needed? If you’re doing it right, people don’t just like it — they crave it. Not just the food, but the experience. The feeling. The brand. And if that’s true… why wouldn’t you bring that to more people? For me, growth is about: • Creating more opportunities for our team • Reaching more communities • Expanding something we genuinely believe in Because the only thing better than doing it once… is doing it 10 times. Then 100 times. And here’s the honest part most people don’t say: If you truly believed in yourself and your concept — and knew you could pull it off — you’d go for it. So when someone says, “I don’t want that”… Sometimes that’s not preference. Sometimes that’s doubt. And to that, I’d say: Get over it — and get over yourself. Take the risk. Go for the ride. Because this isn’t just growth. It’s legacy building. Curious how others think about this — Do you see growth the same way, or differently?

Our commitment to Real Food @ BILLY BRICKS keeps pushing us in the right direction. It’s led to another great local partnership — not just for our new branded hot sauce, but now for our very own hot honey as well. And when you put the labels side by side — what we were ordering vs. what’s now being made specifically for us — the difference says everything. This isn’t just about packaging. It’s about: • Knowing what’s in it • Who’s making it • And making sure it actually reflects our brand Could we have kept ordering something off the shelf? Sure. But that’s not who we are. When you say Real Food, you have to back it up — even when it’s harder, even when it takes more time, even when it costs more. Worth it? We sure think so. #RealFood #Hospitality #LocalPartnerships #BillyBricks

🔥 Another One Bites the Crust 🔥 This limited-time sandwich features: • ½ lb of Fry the Coop hot chicken tenders • Smoked gouda + our house cheese blend • Fresh jalapeños • Coop Sauce • Served on panuozzo bread made from our pizza dough All coming together for one seriously bold sandwich. This is what happens when two brands that care about flavor, quality, and doing things the right way come together. Should Joe Fontana and I take this show on the road?! 📍 Available at BILLY BRICKS for National Hot Chicken Day — don’t miss it. 🎩 tip WBBM | CBS Chicago

In the middle of last week’s interview with Billy Bricks CEO 🍕🍦Ric Gruber we realized he was actually at Molly’s first birthday party when we had a Billy Bricks truck making pizzas for family and friends to celebrate. This was a very fun conversation, and I highly recommend checking out his new Moo Joe’s Ice Cream shop in Evanston (and the next one coming to Oswego)! Listen at https://lnkd.in/gPkZz5V5

Saw that MCL Restaurants in Indiana is closing after 70+ years. That’s not just a headline — that’s generations of work, families, memories, and a brand that meant something to a lot of people. And it’s also a reminder. No matter how old a restaurant is — 70 years, 21 years, or 2 years — the work of keeping it going never stops. You don’t “arrive.” You’re constantly: • Adjusting to changing customer behavior • Managing rising costs • Rethinking your menu • Reinforcing culture • Modernizing without losing who you are At BILLY BRICKS, we’re 21 years in. And if anything, the challenges are just… different now. Not easier. Not harder. Just different. Longevity in this business isn’t about surviving long enough. It’s about continuously evolving without losing your identity. Respect to the operators who kept MCL going for that long. That doesn’t happen by accident. #Hospitality #Restaurants #Entrepreneurship Pizza Bib

With the start of Spring, what sounds better than pizza and ice cream this weekend? Billy Bricks CEO 🍕🍦Ric Gruber brought an excellent variety of their Moo Joe’s Ice Cream to WGN Radio. He joined Kevin Powell and Michael Piff on Chicago's Very Own Eats to talk about their first Moo Joe's shop opening in Evanston, and shared an exclusive announcement about the next one coming to the Chicagoland area. Listen at https://lnkd.in/gqcymT54