Last week we filmed Chester Kroeger for the Restaurant Owners Uncorked video series. Chester has owned Fudpucker’s in Destin, FL and Fort Walton Beach, FL for thirty years. He started it out of a snack bar in a night club, and has grown it to two locations with a total of over 60,000 square feet.

The interview featured a wide range of topics, from why Fudpucker’s has a lake full of over 100 alligators, to the advantages independent restaurants have over chains, to the changing attitudes and expectations of staff and customers over the last decade, to the importance of avoiding complacency, to what he’d tell himself if he could travel back and give himself advice before starting in the business. Here’s what he had to say about that specific topic:

//player.vimeo.com/video/92088497

Here are a few pics from our visit. Chester and his team are absolutely incredible people, and if you visit the beautiful Emerald Coast along the Florida panhandle, make sure you stop by Fudpucker’s. It’s an amazing operation!