Goldthwaite has a restaurant celebrating their first anniversary called Bootleg Chicken, and if you are a fried chicken fan, you are going to want to check this place out!
Meet the Owners
Bill and Liz Metcalfe are the owners and operators of the new casual dining and drive-through restaurant and we sat down and talked to Bill about the new spot that opened this past May. We wanted to know what drew them to Goldthwaite, and what inspired them to open Bootleg Chicken.
A Tough Gig
Most people understand that running a restaurant is no easy task. There have been plenty of television shows that have demonstrated the unique challenges of the hospitality industry as a whole. Managing the facilities, staying fully staffed, and sourcing and keeping high-quality ingredients constantly on hand requires a complicated combination of skills. However, Bill knows how this all works. He has been a serial restaurant entrepreneur, and by developing repeatable systems, he has a process that works for him. The funny thing is he never worked in a restaurant before he owned one.
Texas Farming and Agriculture Roots
Bill and Liz have deep family roots in Texas, all the way back to before it was even a state, with family today in Waco, Marble Falls, and Austin. Bill has quite a story, starting with working in pharmaceuticals as a vaccine specialist. At the same time, he also became a chicken farmer, purchasing 171 acres, and working 90 hours a week. Bill has always been driven, and motivated to succeed. He was raised on agriculture and never minded working hard, but after raising 600,000 chickens, buying heifers, and starting a cattle herd, Bill eventually sold the farm to chase a dream.
A Child’s Dream
“I always had it in my head since I was a kid,” says Bill when asked about running a restaurant. After he sold the chicken farm, he applied to become a franchise owner for a chain restaurant. Of course, it was chicken-related, and he was awarded a location in Waco, Texas. Bill says he was like a sponge and learned all of the systems, and fell in love with it, not just the job, but the entire values system. “Our values aligned perfectly…customer service, quality of products.”
An Independent Streak
Bill found success in his new restaurant, but he has always been very independent and wanted to find a way to scale more quickly than was happening in Waco, so he made a bold move to a competing chain that allowed him to oversee a multi-unit group in Midland County. For years, Bill passed through Goldthwaite on his way to and from West Texas, where he grew up in the Permian Basin—setting the stage for the next chapter in his career with Bootleg Chicken.
Where We Are Supposed to Be
When we asked Bill how he and Liz ended up in Goldthwaite, his first answer was, “We prayed about it.” A recurring theme throughout our visit was the faith and values that inspire their lives. “This is where we are supposed to be,” Bill said. Bill’s mother also moved to Goldthwaite, so it’s clear that the goal is to be here for the long haul and that is great news, because Bootleg Chicken provides a fun country and Texas-themed dining room, as well as a drive through, and catering options for events.
Bootleg Billy Goat
Something people may not know is that the Bootleg Chicken logo is inspired by the two goats living behind the restaurant. They serve as the inspiration for the branding and are the mascots for the restaurant, and they also provide a fun photo opportunity for the kids. Of course, the menu is chicken-focused, with sandwiches, tenders, and nuggets, as well as rotating specials, which you don’t always see in fast-casual restaurants.
The Culture
“We are just going with it every day,” said Bill. “We love to watch a dining room full of people share their lives and have camaraderie in the place we made–it’s fun,” he said. Bill and Liz are building a culture focused on respect, honor, and dignity. They have kept all of their staff from the opening. As independent operators, they can control portions of their offerings, maintain the level of quality and freshness, and use the systems they choose to make Bootleg Chicken run like a well-oiled machine.
Support Local
Supporting local businesses is so important to the Goldthwaite economy. It’s also supporting a dream. Bootleg Chicken is a passion and dream come true for Bill and Liz. Whether it is catering for sports or Church events, picking up some chicken tenders or nuggets on-the-go for a road trip, or just stopping in and trying the food for the first time, Bootleg Chicken is here to meet your needs.
