We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jordan Stone. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jordan below.
Jordan, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I was born into it. I am fortunate enough to have two parents who are both independently strong people. It’s not something they ever expected of me. They wanted me to be the best version of myself I could be. However, when you are the only child of a successful restaurant operator, who learned from his even more successful father-in-law, society has expectations. People have asked if I am going to take over El Mercado since I was nine years old. No matter where I lived: Austin, San Antonio, Chicago, or LA, people always wanted to know. That doesn’t mean I jumped right into it after college. I had dreams of my own. I needed to get some space, and explore different interests. In Chicago, I was in predictive analytic and statistical analysis software sales while simultaneously training in comedy at The Second City. In California, I got the opportunity of a lifetime to work for a restaurant in The Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group at The Ritz-Carlton in Downtown Los Angeles. In my nine and a half years there, I experienced, learned, and grew in more ways than I could have possibly imagined. After being out of Austin for almost 20 years, and out of Texas for 14, I returned home in the summer of 2019. About 8 months before the pandemic. My purpose has never been clearer.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
The most exciting challenge we face is evolving with progress while staying true to Old Austin. One of the benefits about being a Native Austinite, who spent four years in Chicago, and a decade in LA, is that I know how to survive in a major city. This is not the Austin I grew up in. I have seen what it can become. Our population has skyrocketed. With that, comes change. Good or bad, there is no stopping it. El Mercado is Old Austin. We’ve been here for over 30 years. When I was a kid, margaritas were ninety-nine cents three days a week. Inflation affects everything, hot spots open and close, neighborhoods get gentrified. The core of what we represent remains the same. Whether it is friends getting drinks after work, a family celebrating a birthday, or a couple looking for an easy weeknight dinner, El Mercado is a fun local vibe. Old Austin is special to a lot of people for a lot of good reasons. I’m one of them. That won’t change.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
People have often told me that I’ve lived four different lives. The three that stick out to me the most are Athlete, Artist, and Foodie.
As an athlete, I’m a Texas Boy through and through. I grew up dreaming of the Friday Night Lights, and very much lived that reality. Football is a team sport that requires an immense amount of practice, conditioning, preparation, work ethic, and discipline. You need your teammates, and they need you. No one wins or loses alone. I played running back too, so having the ball in my hands is more than just a business metaphor to me. No matter what you do, there will be obstacles, and you’ll face competition. You will get knocked down. You can choose to stay down. Or you can choose to get up, and get them on the next play.
As an Artist, I still applied lessons from football, but stand-up comedy, improv comedy, dramatic stage and film acting, are completely different arenas. Talk about a fish out of water. The hardest lesson was to learn how to allow myself to make a vulnerable choice. That took years of hard work, and profoundly changed the direction of my life. I applied what I learned in classes, and creating my own work, to my real life. People often mistake vulnerability as weakness, but it is in those moments where I had my biggest breakthroughs. The search for balance between vulnerability and strength has been a constant pursuit for me ever since. If you start to feel fear, you’re going in the right direction. Put one foot in front of the other. Live your truth.
As a Foodie, it’s the attention to detail, but also being able to see the big picture. Whether it’s a garnish of cilantro on a plate, having a salt tajin rim on a margarita, or running the floor on a Friday night. Everything matters. I believe in teamwork and synergy. Athletes will say it’s the little things that win championships. Artists will talk about nuance in a performance. You want to be consistent, but also flexible enough to evolve. Get out of your comfort zone. Learn about a variety of cuisines and cultures. Being curious requires a certain level of humility. You have to accept that just maybe…you don’t know everything. Never stop learning. A true master is always a student.
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
If you go all-in with anything you can certainly win big, which is exciting, but you can also lose everything quickly. Sixty percent of restaurants fail within the first year. It is absolutely necessary to know your strengths. In doing so, what separates those who succeed is being able to address weaknesses. Improving areas you are not as strong in will teach you more than you think you know. Cross train your mind and body. Always be open to the greater lesson, and where you can apply what you have learned. No one wins or loses alone. You cannot do everything nor be everywhere at once. Ideally, you want to surround yourself with people whose strengths and weaknesses counterbalance your own.
The most immediate example I have of this is my stellar kitchen staff. Major thanks to Valente, Efrain, and Gil. El Mercado would not be what it is without their consistent quality work. I understand that on a busy Friday night, I am needed on the floor. Not behind the line. Know your strengths. I love to cook, but I’m very much a front of the house person. The more I learn about cooking techniques, aesthetic plating, and presentation, the better I know I can contribute to our overall success. Focus on your strengths. Embrace your weaknesses. An investment in yourself pays the highest dividends.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.elmercadorestaurant.com
- Instagram: elmercadoburnet
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ELMERCADONORTH
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-stone-8830b54
