Today we’d like to introduce you to Garth Hamilton.
Hi Garth, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started off waiting tables and bartending at Bennigan’s while I was in college. The schedule was very flexible, and I went home with cash in hand every day. I moved up the ranks and became a certified trainer and new store opener. After college, I traveled the country training staff and opening new locations. I went on to do the same for Chipotle, Austin Grill, Matchbox, Bobby’s Burger Palace, California Tortilla as a Franchise Owner, and Insomnia Cookies as a Regional Director of Operations, that assisted in the opening of multiple locations in DC and MD, while overseeing overall operations in locations from Delaware to Harrisonburg.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. We’ve opened concepts that didn’t work out, and we’ve invested in others that we thought were sound investments, and then the Pandemic hit. The High Five concept was open for about a month, and then we went into lockdown, and it’s been an uphill battle ever since. Supply chain issues, an increase in operational costs, staffing issues, a shortage of essential supplies that have caused us to have to run out and buy things at retail has also been an obstacle. We had to sell multiple Franchises because of the financial difficulties caused by the shutdown and the negative effects it had on our businesses economics. Financially, there have been other obstacles as well. I have not paid myself from the business in the 3 years it’s been open because we’ve been reinvesting into the business to help it stay open and grow. So being a one-income household with all the financial burdens being on my wife has been difficult at times, and we’ve had to make major adjustments in our daily lives because of it. She’s my ultimate ride-or-die and none of this would be possible without her. And yes, at times, all of this has had a negative effect on our relationship, but with honest communication, understanding, and no ego, we’ve been able to work through it all; she’s really amazing. Owning your own business isn’t always easy. We see the end result and never fully realize everything the individual has gone through and sacrificed to get to where they are today.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Hamilton Hospitality Group is a one-stop shop hospitality company that can assist businesses in all facets of running their operations. If you’ve conceptualized a concept, we can help you bring it to life. We can help with menu building, training materials, vendor accounts, P&L creation and management, website building, marketing, and basic fine-tuning from an operational standpoint of an already existing business. High Five is an original concept of the Hamilton Hospitality Group. After opening multiple concepts and being an intricate part of the creative process that goes into creating a new concept, I decided to start my own company. High Five was an idea that our 14-year-old daughter Mia had at the time for a treat shop. The kind of place that a mother could go to with her kids for a healthy and a not so healthy-healthy snack. So that’s why our menu consists of acai bowls, smoothies, topped waffles, wafflewiches, ice cream, cookie sandwiches, ice cream pies, milkshakes, pastries, cookies, and brownies; it’s the best of both worlds. A majority of the smoothie and acai bowl recipes stem from variations of those items our daughter made at home for us, and I just tweaked them a bit based on feedback we got from tastings. I’m most proud of still being open because we opened right before a pandemic. I’m also very proud of being able to bring an idea to life that our family, especially our oldest daughter, conceptualized. That’s a very powerful thing, and the effects are everlasting. I’m also very proud that we continue to do business our way without cutting corners and still giving back to our planet and our local community consistently.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
I’m a fan of quotes; whatever you’re going through, there’s an inspirational quote that can help you through it. I’m a huge fan of Bob Marley and find lots of inspiration in his music and interviews as well. I also love talking to those who came before me. Our elders are an amazing resource that I don’t think we’ve utilized enough in learning from and listening to their stories and many life lessons. Right or wrong, agree or disagree, there are many valuable lessons that we can learn from them just by having little conversations. I’ve been very blessed to have some very amazing elders in my life currently and through the years. If there is something that I’m trying to accomplish in particular, I also have an amazing network of colleagues and friends that I can turn to for sound advice and direction. Most of the time, they direct me to someone that has sound experience or knowledge of my inquiry.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.highfivedmv.com
- Instagram: highfivedmv
- Facebook: highfivedmv
- Other: www.hamiltonhospitalitygroup.com
