Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Oliveira.
Hi Daniel, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started working at my uncle Carlos’s burger restaurant when I was 16 years old. He and his business partner owned a burger joint called Player’s, located close to the University of Texas and downtown Austin. I started off as a busboy then learned the other positions and then managed for a few years. In the early 2000’s you started to see food trucks and food trailers pop up. I’ve always wanted to try my own thing and start a business so I got organized and started Cow Bells in 2012. Our first location was off Riverside which is located in central Austin pretty close to downtown. We had a nice seven years run over there and will be forever grateful for our customers and employees who helped make it happen. Unfortunately, new construction squeezed us out. We’ve always dabbled in catering and events so we decided to hit the road until we could secure another location. The catering switch ended up being a blessing and the business has blossomed. We are now truly a mobile business that specializes in on-site catering. It’s been a lot of fun getting to travel and check out the scenery in and around Austin. We typically do office lunches & dinners during the week and private events like weddings or birthday parties on the weekends. We’ve now been keeping it simple with burgers and fries for 10 years.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting a business can be a daunting task. It’s like getting a new pet dog; you have to go all-in otherwise it won’t work. Cow Bells was definitely my pet and I was taking care of it all the time. I remember I practically lived there, working 60-80 hour weeks for a while. I had a friend tell me to slow it down a hair and watch out for fatigue. That’s when I realized you have to bring in the proper help and I started to make some hires. Health is wealth so as an owner/operator I learned the value of staying healthy throughout the year and to balance it all out with a little time off as well. The most notable struggle however was when we switched to becoming a mobile food truck and only doing catering. We lost our old spot with not much time to map things out so it was definitely a rolling the dice moment for us. It was pretty slow at first but then we started to grow and gain some traction. Eventually, things were going great, then the pandemic hit. It was incredibly hard for us, especially when the name of the game for catering is doing parties for big groups. That came to a screeching halt when everything shut down for a while. I didn’t have a large staff at the time which probably worked a little in my favor although we did lose a few employees so it was hard finding more to work when things weren’t consistent. Eventually, when restaurants were able to open at full capacity, we started to get a few calls for small parties and events. Somehow we made it through and feel blessed that things have been pretty solid the last year or so.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m very hands-on as an owner/operator for my catering business. I have a food trailer called Cow Bells and we specialize in onsite catering. We keep the menu simple with burgers and fries. I never envisioned starting a business then tossing the keys to someone else to run it. I love what I do so I’m able to oversee everything from start to finish. It’s all about the little things. I hand pick our produce and do the cooking at 100% of our services. I feel that’s one of the best ways to ensure quality for your business. I’m most proud of the longevity we’ve had as a business. Cow Bells is my baby and every business owner wants to make it last.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Having the opportunity to work under my uncle Carlos helped a lot. He showed me the ropes with running a restaurant and also taught me a lot about sacrifice.
Contact Info:
- Website:www.cowbells512.com
- Instagram: @Cowbells512
- Facebook: @Cowbells512
- Twitter: @Cowbells512
- Yelp: Cow Bells
