The Good Hood – the go-to place for a great meal and a good time

After eight years creating Monterey Jacks in Scotland, which now has ten locations in the country, he opened The Good Hood exactly two years ago.

Here, in our latest Business of the Week feature, Richard tells us about his vision for running his own business, opening a second venue and his plans for 2024.

If you would like to appear in one of our business features, email heidi.summerfield@newsquest.co.uk

Each of The Good Hood venues has a fun and relaxed vibe

What’s the name of the business?

The Good Hood

What’s the address?

22 Banks Road in West Kirby and 3 Grosvenor Road in New Brighton

Are you the owner/manager?

Owner

When did you open the business?

November 2021

The Good Hood team

Has it always been in the same location?

Yes. West Kirby was our first location before we opened up in New Brighton in April this year.

Are you local to the area? Did you grow up here?

I am new to the Wirral having moved here just over two years ago. I still love everything the Wirral has to offer as well as being an amazing place to live.

Tell me a bit about your business

The Good Hood is a local favourite with two convenient locations dedicated to providing a fun and upbeat dining experience. We specialise in serving hand crafted burgers and delicious pizzas and we take pride in crafting a variety of expertly mixed cocktails. Our focus is on offering high quality, freshly prepared food in a relaxed, fun and inviting atmosphere, making us the go-to destination for those looking for a great meal and a good time.

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What do you do? What services do you provide?

We trade seven days a week from midday until 9pm. We offer home delivery within a 3.5-mile radius. Both restaurants have a great sun trap and alfresco dining with live music at weekends and our bars are open late each weekend until 1am.

The menus are creatively crafted at both locations

Why did you decide to open your own business?

I decided to open The Good Hood restaurants because of my deep passion for food and the desire to create a place where the community could come together and enjoy quality meals in a warm and welcoming environment. I believe that good food has the power to bring people closer and create memorable experiences. I wanted to contribute to our local culinary scene and provide a space where friends and families can gather. It’s not just about running a business - it’s about sharing my love for food and hospitality with our wonderful community.

What’s your business background?

After years working in hospitality, I was able to launch my first start-up restaurant Monterey Jacks in Scotland. That grew and I ran that company for eight years - we now have 10 locations throughout Scotland. This provided valuable experience in managing operations, leading teams and ensuring restaurants were successful in a very competitive industry.

My background has always been hospitality. Like all people, I have had a variety of odd jobs trying to find what I would like to do as a career. When I took a random second job as a waiter to pay for my first car, I loved it so much that I quit my apprenticeship to work in restaurants and bars. I was lucky enough to spend the next six years working in some of Scotland best restaurants and bars learning on the job and how to run restaurants at a management level.

Why this type of business?

For me, my best times and experiences has always involved food and drink with friends and family. I wanted to create something on my own that we could grow into a steady and successful business. Truthfully, hospitality was the only thing that really excited me and brought out my passion for food and drinks. I found the culture of restaurants very addictive - it gave me a real thrill and excitement to be involved in the business.

The first Good Hood opened two years ago

Were you open before/during/after the Covid-19 pandemic? How did this affect your business?

Luckily, The Good Hood opened as the world was moving back to normal after the pandemic. However, with facing such unprecedented most restaurants have not and probably won’t return to how they were before. We all have to move with the times and the culture changes that have come from going through a pandemic.

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What makes your business different to others in the same area/field? What sets your business apart from your competitors?

We don’t compare ourselves to other business or competitors as making money is a special formula that each business needs to work out for themselves. We feel very happy and confident with who and what we are. Our mission from the beginning was always to provide a handmade product that was unique, creating the perfect burger from recipes and ingredients that can’t be compared or judged. Everything we have created is our own vision and only available at The Good Hood. We decided to design the restaurant with a fun upbeat vibe which I think is truly unique and we are glad to say that so far, our customers have loved it.

Why do loyal customers return to your business?

I think they understand and see what we are doing - we turn up, we work very hard and genuinely care about where people are spending their hard-earned money. We put customer satisfaction at the top of our list as well as spending lot of time ensuring we create handmade food and drinks in a fun upbeat environment.

Delicious desserts are also the menu at The Good Hood

What’s next? What do the next few months hold for you and your business?

We have a jam-packed festive period coming up and we can’t wait. Then 2024 will see us expand and take on two further locations as well as continuing with our existing units in West Kirby and New Brighton.