11 minute read
The Design House: Capturing Your Style at Every Turn
experiences
separate CIRCLE STAR BRANDS from other area restaurants
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By Mark Miller
After more than two decades working for other restaurant people, Marty Bryan opened Marty B’s in Bartonville in 2017. He followed two years later with Rustico Wood Fired Grill and Wine Bar and last year with 1845 Taste Texas, both in Flower Mound.
Combined with partners Brian Gasperson and Alan Mann, they named the collection Circle Star Brands. While their overall focus is to provide amazing experiences for customers and staff, each location features its own clientele, music, and décor.
“For each of our restaurants, there’s a unique experience,” said Gasperson, who doubles as
casual, fun, family friendly, open air patio with great live music! At Rustico, it’s more of a boutique setting, intimate feel, with elevated service and an awesome playlist! At 1845, just think upscale Texas with modern design, Texas inspired food and drinks. Even the playlist is made with all Texas born artists.”
“We’re only located in Denton County. We have joked that we want to put in places 20 minutes from our houses,” said Bryan, who like Gasperson and Mann live in Argyle. “We want to shake our customers’ hands. It is a requirement for our managers to talk to every single customer, and if we’re in the restaurant, you’re going to see us talking to them. We’re visible.”
Marty B’s concentrates on families and is designed like the country ranch Bryan grew up on in central Texas. The menu features steaks, barbecue, and Tex-Mex complete with plenty of drink options to be enjoyed while listening to live music on the weekends or catching a game on the big screen.
than 55 crafted wines to be paired with sugar free and mostly organic dinner entrees. Desserts are not sugar free, but sure to be worth every calorie.
1845 offers an upscale experience designed like Dallas with food that tastes like Fort Worth. Everything from the menu to the atmosphere is inspired by all things Texas. 1845 is one of the few places in the area where you can expect upscale service while enjoying live music on the weekends.
Those unique traits earned Circle Star Brands 10 awards in this year’s Best of Denton County contest. That included eight top selections – Live Music, Place for Live Music, Family Dining, Patio Dining, Restaurant and Food, Bar Patio and Student Hamburger (Marty B’s), and Happy Hour (Rustico). Marty B’s also came in the top three for Barbecue and Rustico matched that in Drink Menu.
“We like to hire people with heart and a genuineness and sincerity about them,” Bryan said. “We build and maintain strong relationships with team members, the community, customers, and vendors. We only want to do business with people we like and that respect our brand.”
“Our food is very good and what makes us different is how much effort this team puts into the experience and the service that our customers receive,” Gasperson said. “People ask us all the time, ‘How do you have enough staff?’ You have people everywhere (more than 400 overall).’ ”
For Circle Star’s owners, it’s about their customers escaping life for a while.
“When you walk in our doors, we want you to forget everything that happened before that moment and just enjoy,” Gasperson said. “It’s about how we greet you, how dim the lights are, how loud the music is. Everything about the experience is energy.”
Bryan agreed. the curb appeal. When people spend money on something, you can tell. We haven’t spared any expense on any of our restaurants. When people visit our restaurants, we want them to escape their life, whatever their challenges are, dive into our restaurants, and enjoy.”
Rustico and 1845 are only open for dinner while Marty B’s is open for lunch and dinner. Mann emphasized that all three serve the highest quality of meats through hormone free, antibiotic free, naturally fed, and humanely-raised animals.
Rustico and 1845 each feature half-off drinks between 4-6 p.m. every day, and 1845 and Marty B’s will have holiday packaged foods including prime rib, a signature pork chop, hams, smoked turkeys, and barbecue.
“At the end of the day, if you have a great product, great service, and great quality, customers are willing to pay whatever you charge,” Bryan said.
Thanks to their current and past customers, Circle Star Brands will soon be expanding. Bryan hopes to open Marty B’s Coffee Company next door to his restaurant by February. And another concept called Cactus Canyon with Southwesterninspired cuisine is slated to come to the Lakeside Village development in Flower Mound in 2023.
“We want to appeal to all your senses,” Bryan said. “What you see, what you feel, what you touch; all those things. When you go into each
Happy Hour Steakhouse
1845 Taste Texas 214.285.0069 2401 Lakeside Parkway #150 Flower Mound, TX 75022 www.1845tex.com
the for success
by Caylie Howard
Since the beginning of the pandemic last year, it seems many small businesses have needed some level of support, encouragement, and, more importantly, understanding. With these new found challenges, it has become increasingly obvious how important it is to support and give back to our local community and business partners. For Best of Denton County winner Mosquito Joe Metro Northwest DFW, giving back didn’t start with the pandemic. ey’ve been building relationships, providing community support, and giving great service since their beginning.
Hollie and Lee Woodham, owners of Mosquito Joe Metro NW DFW, met twice six months apart on
for 18 years and are parents to two teenagers, Ella and Jackson. Together, the couple shares over 50 years of experience in the business world which has proven to aid them in their success with their business.
In 2014, after a lot of time, discussion and research, Hollie and Lee decided that it was time to pursue a different career path.
“We weren’t necessarily looking for a franchise but did want something that was community focused and personally rewarding. We found Mosquito Joe and loved what they stood for.” Hollie said.
Lee agreed.
satisfaction, and their long term vision,” Lee said. “ After the meeting, we were extremely impressed with the commitment to franchisees, their customer service approach, and the effectiveness of the natural based products used. In addition we appreciated what big proponents Mosquito
approach.’ We knew whatever we decided to do we were going to focus on relationships, speak with our customers, and make connections within our community. Those were critical components that were extremely important to us.”
But Hollie and Lee didn’t go into making this decision alone. “Our youngest child, who was
minutes. So we decided to try out the product before we began our journey to ownership. When we saw how effective it was, it gave us peace of mind as parents.” Hollie said. “And what an opportunity it was to be able to give back to our community and be able to give them peace of mind as well.”
Living in Texas, it’s no secret how much of a nuisance mosquitos are. They are something that we deal with on a constant basis. Hollie and Lee saw Mosquito Joe as a way to give back to their community. “We have customers that are battling cancer, that have autoimmune diseases, and even customers that are in remission. We’re able to provide comfort to these people and that is rewarding in itself.” Hollie said.
But providing peace of mind to the people of our community isn’t the only way that Mosquito Joe gives back. Locally, Mosquito Joe partners with Ranch Hand Rescue, Casting for a Cause, and Up Ministry to name a few. “We love that Ranch Hand Rescue is taking in animals and giving them a second chance. And, as parents ourselves, we love the work they are doing with helping our local youth take their lives back.” Hollie said.
Even with the success that Mosquito Joe has seen since opening their doors, Mosquito Joe makes sure to provide the best customer experience in the business. “We always teach our team that we’re not just a service. We are a team on a mission to deliver the best customer service in the business with class, communication, and expertise. That includes our relationships with local partners, charities, and businesses. We believe in a more personalized approach to each and every person.
With the growth of the company, Mosquito Joe has a solid leadership team that has been in place since the business was founded. Steven
Jednachowski and Devin Damian manage support
team wants to ensure the quality of care is there for each and every customer. When you call them, you’re not going to get an automated voice; you’re going to talk to a live person.
It’s not often that you come across a growing business that is not only dedicated to keeping the same quality service to all of their increasing customers but is also committed to giving back to their community in such a big way. Mosquito Joe has proven over the last seven years of being in operation that success can be a great tool in helping others in our local community. It’s safe to say that this year’s Best of Denton County win is well deserved.
Best Mosquito Control
Say Yes
to Made in the Shade
by Caylie Howard
When building or buying your dream forever home, you want to make sure that every little detail is perfect. After all, there is nothing more disappointing than picking out the ideal home for your family and then realizing that a few details are not so perfect. Lana Smith knows this struggle and frustration personally, which is why she created the perfect solution for the residents of our local communities.
background in fashion, I wanted jaw-droppingly beautiful, high-quality window treatments that
that way.”
The products that were on the market weren’t exactly the quality that Lana desired for her home. “I just wasn’t getting the effect that I desired,” Lana said. “Therefore, my lifelong fashion and design obsession coupled with my entrepreneurial spirit decided my fate, and Made in the Shade Blinds North DFW was born.”
Made in the Shade Blinds North DFW was created in 2017 and has been very popular ever since. They have been named Best of Denton County in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. In 2019, they were also one of the top 10 franchises in this multinational corporation.
quality, customization, service, warranty, and price,” Lana said. “Not only do we provide blinds, shades, shutters, and draperies, but we will also personally help you choose the perfect area rugs, accessories, and paint colors.”
Best Custom Window Treatments
However, Lana doesn’t solely work with new homeowners. “In addition to working with my own clients, we work with home stagers, realtors, and home builders to bring even more value to their clients,” Lana said.
No matter your issue, Lana and her team at Made in the Shade Blinds North DFW are up for the task. “There is nothing I love more than a great challenge,” Lana said. “Whether it’s a lighting issue or an odd-shaped window, we
homeowners think they have a
it’s really easy to solve once we get there.”
Lana’s extensive career path has aided her in being the absolute
fashion industry, my career took many twists and turns into account management, business development, and construction. All of that taught
Made in the Shade,” Lana said.
Even though Lana's team at Made in the Shade Blinds North DFW are true experts in every service they provide, they believe their true expertise is listening to their client's wants, desires, and needs. “We listen to exactly what our clients want and need, and we narrow down the choices for them,” Lana said. “There are so many window treatment options to choose from that it can be daunting for homeowners. My ability to listen to their needs and wants and narrow down the selection to exactly what clients are looking for makes the process easy.”
With the passion and drive that Lana and her staff have at Made in the Shade, it’s easy to see why the people of Denton County have fallen in love with their services. With high-quality products and top-notch customer service, it’s abundantly clear that Made in the Shade Blinds North DFW is the best choice in Denton County.
