John Ramsey has spent a majority of his life working in a restaurant. He said he would not want it any other way.
“If you don’t enjoy what you do then you have to go to work every day,” he said. “[My wife and I] don’t feel like we go to work because we enjoy what we do.”
John grew up working for his father, Coy Ramsey, at the different establishments his dad owned in the Greater Houston area. John said he worked every conceivable restaurant position—from cook to waiter—during his time under his dad.
“If you don’t know how to do [every] aspect of a business, you shouldn’t be in the business,” he said.
John used that food service experience to open Landon’s Grill in Pearland in May 2012 with his wife, Jessica Ramsey. The couple named the eatery after their 6-year-old son, who was born after complications during the pregnancy, John said.
“Doctors said he was our miracle baby, so why not name the restaurant after him?” he said.
Coy is still in the industry and owns two Avalon Diner locations in Houston. He bought into the popular diner—which opened in 1938—in the late ’80s, John said.
Avalon Diner has a loyal customer base, many of whom eat there on a regular basis, John said. John’s goal is to replicate that crowd by offering traditional diner fare served by a friendly staff the way his father does.
Landon’s Grill in Pearland was named after John and Jessica Ramsey’s 6-year-old son.[/caption]
“We emphasize [hospitality], and we train our employees to do the same thing,” John said.
The menu at Landon’s includes breakfast, which is served all day, as well as lunch. Similar to Avalon Diner, customers can choose from a variety of favorites, such as chicken fried steaks, cheeseburgers and Philly cheesesteaks. John said he hopes to add more classic American dishes, such as chicken and dumplings and meatloaf, in the future.
“I stick with my [cooking] strong points. That’s what I grew up in,” he said. “I didn’t want to try and open a pizza place or a seafood restaurant because that just wasn’t what I was accustomed to.”
Landon’s Grill features traditional American dishes, such as chicken fried steak ($10.25).[/caption]
Breakfast items are the most popular aspect of the restaurant’s menu, John said. Customer favorites include various omelettes, pancakes, migas and Jess’s Breakfast Tacos, which—along with Jess’s Open Faced Chili Cheeseburger—are named after some of the co-owner’s favorite meals when she was pregnant with Landon.
While John learned many things about the restaurant business from Coy, he attributes his results to his mother as well.
“I credit both of my parents [for] my success,” John said. “Without them giving me the guidelines and the path, I don’t think I’d be where I am or feel as successful as I do now.”
