#25: A Life of Innovation In Montana's Restaurant Industry | Nick Steen Gullings, Walker's & Bin 119

Hello everyone! Welcome back to the Owner's Journal Episode 25 with Nick Steen Gullings. In today's episode, Nick walked us through his journey from making pizzas at Pizza Hut to being a James Beard-Nominated chef and owner of two restaurants in downtown Billings, Montana.

If you get a chance to go to one of Nick's restaurants in Billings, Montana, it would come as no surprise to you after eating his food that he's had a long career in the restaurant industry and has fallen in love with his craft. From baking pizzas in his teens, to serving breakfast to Tiger Woods and Bill Gates in Big Sky MT during college, and eventually owning and operating two restaurants, Nick's colorful career in the restaurant world has had wide range of pit stops and stories on his way to being a successful chef and restauranteur.


In today's episode we also got to hear about Nick's experience as a volunteer firefighter, and how his time working at the station influenced his career as a chef and a leader. In a workplace culture where chefs are known (and sometimes expected) to be authoritative "my way or the highway" leaders, Nick talked about how he rejected that mentality after his time working at the station and being confronted with how "real stress" in the world can be a lot bigger than what happens during a dinner rush in the kitchen.

In addition to talking about his journey as a chef and his perspective-shifting time in the fire department, we also got to talk to Nick about the business side of his career and what it took to go from being a head chef at Walker's Grill to eventually buying the business and adding an additional restaurant to the portfolio at Bin 119. The process of buying and operating two restaurants left Nick with a ton of actionable insights for ourselves and our listeners about creating unforgettable customer experiences, leading teams, and choosing business partners wisely.

We've been looking forward to this conversation and for the opportunity to bring it to you for some time now, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Thanks for listening!🍊

Be where your feet are,
Drew & Klay👣

Find Nick's Restaurants at:
Facebook:
Bin 119:   / bin119bistro  
Walker's:   / walkersgrill  
Instagram:
Bin 119:   / bin.119  
Walker's:   / walkersmt  

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Show Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:33 Guest Introduction: Nick Steen
00:46 Nick's Philosophy on Business
01:41 Music and Personal Interests
07:37 Journey to Becoming a Chef
08:29 Early Career and Challenges
08:45 Life at Yellowstone Club
13:51 Transition to Fine Dining
20:39 Balancing Work and Personal Life
35:00 Creating Unique Culinary Experiences
35:36 Passion and Fulfillment in Cooking
36:27 The Role of a Chef Beyond Cooking
37:30 The Importance of Teamwork in the Kitchen
39:24 Challenges and Rewards of the Culinary Industry
41:06 The Journey of Becoming a Chef
43:47 The Mental Health Struggles of Chefs
46:51 Building a Supportive Culinary Community
48:42 The Impact of Awards and Recognition
50:26 Balancing Business and Culinary Creativity
52:22 Innovating and Inspiring in the Culinary World
55:04 The Future of Culinary Arts
01:10:49 The Struggles of Starting a Business
01:11:08 Finding the Right Partners
01:13:40 Navigating Financial Challenges
01:16:19 The Importance of Family and Team
01:18:01 Lessons from the Culinary World
01:26:26 Balancing Multiple Restaurants
01:41:53 Defining Success and Personal Values
01:44:26 Final Thoughts and Reflections