Mindset Of An Entrepreneur: How This Black Restaurateur Seeks To Influence Local Government

A businessman and executive chef, Robert Slater is emerging as a notable figure in Houston politics following his recent loss in the Congressional District 18 Special Election to replace the late U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee.

Although he was seen as a “longshot” by local media, Slater’s supporters are enthusiastic about his potential, reflecting his significant impact in various realms beyond politics.

Robert Slater’s story is both inspiring and multifaceted. His rise from a challenging upbringing in Los Angeles and Houston to becoming a successful restaurateur is remarkable. His passion for cooking, which emerged from personal experiences with food insecurity, led him to establish Slate Table and Bar, an Italian fusion restaurant known for its artistic presentation and global influences. Slate represents not just a culinary venture but a commitment to innovation and quality in dining.

Slater’s personal challenges add depth to his narrative. He has navigated significant hardships, including incarceration, caring for his son, who is paralyzed after being shot in 2019 at just 20 years old, and supporting his mother through forced early retirement. These experiences have shaped his approach to both business and community involvement.

Beyond his culinary career, Slater’s commitment to civic engagement is evident. He views his restaurant as a platform for social impact and embraces a philosophy of continuous learning and growth. His dedication to advocating for veterans, improving Social Security, and supporting women’s workplace rights underscores his broader vision for meaningful change.

Slater’s campaign highlights his dedication to entrepreneurship and community, reflecting his belief in the power of personal experience to drive public service and reform.

NewsOne sat down with Robert Slater to pick his brain about his restaurant, politics, and success in Houston’s food industry. Check out the interview below.

 

Lauren Williams: What was life like for you in childhood?

Robert Slater: I was Born in Los Angeles and raised in Houston since I was 8 years old. My mother cooked. My father cooked. He’s from Natchez, Mississippi. And my grandmother is the one who really just showed me the ropes in the kitchen. I remember Thanksgiving time, she would make all the kids sit in the corner with cast iron skillets of cornbread crumbling for the dressing. The next day, snapping peas. I used to hate those raggedy peas. But those are the baseline things that really gave me the tools that made me appreciate food growing up. At one point in my life, me and my mother were homeless.

We stayed in a shelter downtown, and I remember my mother going to friends, asking them if it was okay that they gave me some food, and she’d be okay. And that’s when I saw my mother cry. So I knew then I wanted to either cook or be a chef. And it drove me because if food was making my mom cry, I never wanted to go without food. So I’m kind of insatiable now, but I appreciate it.

 

What inspired you to go into entrepreneurship? And why is business important to you?

Opportunities and the lack thereof. I mean, I was a knucklehead growing up. I had gotten into some trouble. But in today’s economy, just keep working as hard as you can. The creativity; I wanted to share my creations. I wanted to inspire those and give them a platform to come into a place to be able to have inspiration and creativity. And I try to inspire that here at Slate, we work backward here, but everyone has input, everyone has a fingerprint on the menu, and we just want to create that house and that hub where creativity kind of comes to life. This is our own little Disneyland if you will.

 

Nice. “Disneyland.” So, specifically, what made you choose the food industry? You spoke on it a bit. Food has a huge connection to your family and your upbringing. Were there any other reasons?

Yeah, the CEO of an Italian restaurant chose me as his corporate chef, going over the head of his Black VP who didn’t want me to get the job because of my record. He gave me a chance when my own kind didn’t. To me, food is the one thing that consistently brings us all together. Right? No matter what religion, where you are in politics, your race, whatever, right? A dinner table can sit us all down to either shut up or have a casual conversation. It brings us together, especially on Sundays when everyone is living their own life in a silo. And in my family, Sundays were the one time that we were a family, and we were at that dinner table. Doesn’t matter if you were a vegetarian, a vegan, if you liked meat, you didn’t like meat. Something was provided for you at that table where everyone got up and they were fulfilled from leaving it. So food is a staple. It’s recession-proof. It would always be here and it’s always needed.

 

Excellent. What sets Slate apart? Talk to me about the restaurant and the concept.

Slate is a culinary art house. It is an Italian fusion concept where it’s Italian classics that have international inspirations, if you will. For instance, we have, an Elote ravioli, we have gumbo pizza. We also have American staples like redfish, but chicken-fried redfish. Because in my household growing up, everything was chicken-fried. Bringing that to the masses. But I say culinary art house, because when you come in, we want you to think it’s an art gallery. All of our plate ware is matte black. All of the silverware is black, but we want it to fade to the back so that the food can pop. All of our dishes are a work of art to highlight that. If you order a pizza from us, it will go to myself or Chef Jason, who’s the culinary director, we personally sign the box, and we leave a message, like an artist with their painting. So we have fun. We’re colorful, we’re vibrant, but we really want to bring the art back to elevated dining.

 

Awesome! And you are succeeding at that. What advice would you give someone trying to break into the food industry?

For one, love it enough. Love it enough through the good times, the bad times, the scary times. Love it enough through the criticism, love it enough through the roadblocks. Love it enough to where you just don’t give up. Secondly, learn the business. It’s a talent, but you have to learn the business from profit and loss sheets, from operating costs, hiring the right talent, and that way it can be structurally sound. A lot of restaurants, I think, have a 54% failure rate in the industry because the talent is there, but the business mind isn’t. So love it enough to build the business and learn how to sell your product properly, and you’ll be successful.

 

Last night, I got to see you in your civic engagement bag. What is it? You’ve got a business that you want to see grow. Why is it important for you to also identify as a politician?

Great question. Actually, I don’t identify as a politician. I identify as an advocate who fights for certain policies. See how I did that there? That sounds like a politician, but I’m not a politician. My campaign slogan was “From a statistic to a success equals real solutions.” I have been told “no” for an SBA loan. I am 42 years old right now with a restaurant, and part owner of another restaurant, but I can’t get an apartment in my name. It makes no sense. So I want to inspire those, no matter what your background, no matter where you come from, that everything and anything is possible. Stay true to yourself. Have fun. And because I lived it, it’s almost like having the cheat code, and I want to give it to others. You know, if you run into a wall, build a door. If the door is locked, climb the wall. If you can’t, go underground and get to the other side by any means necessary.

 

I love that! We often see businessmen go into politics, from Mayor Michael Bloomberg to Governor Mitt Romney, and even former President Donald Trump. Why do you believe business owners are attracted to politics?

I think business owners are attracted to politics because at our core, we’re problem solvers or at least we think we are. We look at everything as a profit and loss sheet or a controllable. We are fixers. We’re managers. So in the world of politics, in the way the country is run, we’re a capitalist country. So you’re talking about deficits, you’re talking about inflation. You’re talking about cost of living, the rise in the cost of the stock market. So as a business person, you’re instinctively going to think it’s improper management and what to do to fix it. I personally believe that businessmen would make some of the best politicians or leaders, if you will. However, some businessmen, like some of those that you named, have lost the people’s touch; the connection, the empathy. So it has to be twofold and it has to be equal. It’s one thing to be business, but you also have to do the business of the people.

 

Whew! The business of the people. Inspiring. Do you have a favorite saying or mantra? What is it and why is it important to you?

My personal saying that I try to live and abide by is “He who knows he knows nothing, actually knows it all.” And what that means is that as long as you feel you don’t know enough, you’re willing to learn, you’re willing to do something different. You’re willing to listen and be empathetic. You will know everything that you need to know, you will always continue to grow. So that’s what inspires me.

SEE ALSO:

Mindset Of An Entrepreneur: Why Black People Should Consider Homesteading To Create Generational Wealth

The Mindset Of An Entrepreneur: How This Mom Of Four Balances A Business, A Career And Motherhood

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