Profile on Alan Bacon - Partner, with Nick Hill, of the five-strong steak house company
Alan Bacon, who is he?
Partner, with Nick Hill, of the five-strong steak house company, Black & Blue, modelled on American steak houses but using British ingredients. Bacon and Hill also set up the Tootsies burger chain in 1973. They ran it until 1999 when they sold it to a private equity company for £9.5m.
How did he get into the industry?
Bacon was working in banking in the Bahamas when he met Nick in 1970. A drunken evening out ended in the age-old conversion about starting a restaurant, "Back when you could still get into the restaurant industry cheaply". Both had American wives at the time and spent a lot of time in the States where "They seemed to be so far ahead of the game", so they opted for an American-style concept.
How did he get started?
With money from the bank, for which Hill's father acted as guarantor.
How much is he worth?
"Given luck and a fair wind, I'd say the company was worth somewhere between £12-15m." said Bacon.
Best piece of advice?
"To get a job in a restaurant before I went into the industry." A guy who I met in the States advised me that.
Who does he admire in the industry?
"The person I most admired was Bob Peyton of Chicago Pizza Pie Factory who, sadly, died in a car crash. He was absolutely meticulous about details and was very innovative."
Most important thing he's learnt?
"That 99 per cent of people are basically nice and that shouldn't be coloured by the fact that one per cent are not."
Future plans?
A sixth Black & Blue site in Chiswick is currently under construction and is due to open next Spring.
