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Restauranteur bucks the trend
hangs on to old-fashioned way
By Debbie Brelend
Press Register Reporter
Sunday, August 30th, 1987
With specialty restaurants cropping up all around him, John Word keeps plugging
away at his traditional restaurants and earning his income the old-fashioned way."The trend now is specialty restaurants, and they have their own thing going,
but I think we will be here when they're gone," Word said.
In addition to John Word's Restaurant, which is a special occasion restaurant, Word owns The Captain's Table on the causeway, the Best Western at Battleship Inn, and just this year opened Twickenham's Station, a theme restaurant.
"We operate traditional restaurants, where you have to earn money the old-fashioned way rather than by gimmicks and give-aways," Word said.
Word said that people don't know what they're eating half the time in specialty restaurants. The trend in the restaurant industry right now can only be described as "weird," he added.
"There is a need for people to have a decent, clean restaurant where they can go in and sit down and eat," Word said. "It's really a public obligation we (in the restaurant industry) have. I would rather have a satisfied customer and break even than have a dissatisfied customer and make a penny or two."
"We don't make a lot of money with these restaurants, but we have a cash flow to live off of, and I'm happy with that. We will always have a cash flow if we take care of our customers," Word said.
Word, a big man at 6 feet, 2 inches tall, said he got into the restaurant business because he loves contact with people. Paradoxically, he vacations in the desert each year so that he can get away from people.
"Did you see my siguaro cactus at Twickenham's? I got it is Tuscon, Ariz.," Word said, adding proudly that his is the only siguaro cactus in this part of the country.
He picked the desert as his favorite vacation spot because "I like to roam around in it. I like the desolate atmosphere it creates, and the quietness and beauty of the desert at night," he said, adding that his wife, Linda, accompanies him on the desert trips.
His other loves include his two black Labrador retrievers - Girl and Missy - and "fast cars."
Word, 55, said he loves the restaurant business not only because it puts him in contact with people, but also because of the risk involved.
"I've always been willing to take risks, and we still take risks everyday. It makes you work harder when you owe a lot of money," he said. "I enjoy the risks. It makes the days, months and years fly by. And, somewhere along the way, you're able to buy a fast sports car."
Word started out in the restaurant business when he was in high school, working as a kitchen steward and busboy.
A native of Mississippi, Word received his bachelor's degree in hotel administration in 1958. After graduation, he managed hotels along the east coast.
In 1975, he moved to Mobile as operator of The Captain's Table. He opened John Word's Restaurant in 1982, the Best Western/Battleship Inn in 1983 and Twickenham's Station this year.
"Our restaurants are pretty well holding their own," Word said. "We just opened Twickenham's Station, so we won't know what that situation will be for about a year. The competition is so much greater than it used to be."
Word said the restaurant business is not as independent as it used to be. People won't stand in line - they just go somewhere else, he said.
"Our problem is our own problem. We feel if we treat the customer right, business will come regardless of the competition," Word said.
"You bury yourself. You can't worry about your next-door neighbor," he said.
"Treat people right and they will come back. The years I worked for other corporations, I found that the emphasis was on controlling costs instead of the customer. Contact with customers is the most important part of any business," Word said.
Word said the range of customers at his restaurants is across-the-board, from carpenters to top business executives.
Although each of his restaurants targets a different crowd of people, all of them offer a wide variety of food on their menus.
An additional service offered by Word's restaurants are the long hours the restaurants stay open.
"We are open seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. at all of the restaurants," Word said. "I think this will create a lot of 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. business. A restaurant should be open long enough so that people can eat leisurely when they want to."
Entertainment is provided by bands at John Word's restaurant and Twickenham's Station, and Word said he plans to stress entertainment even more in the future.
"I plan to push entertainment. I feel that it is something Mobile needs," Word said.
He said he plans to bring in some big-name jazz musicians such as Earl Klugh next year.
Other future plans include building an addition to John Word's Restaurant - a small inn with eight executive suites "geared to executive-type clientelle on a lease basis," he said.
The plush one and two bedroom suites will have kitchenettes and bars, he said.
"I'm really enjoying Mobile and enjoying the people here. I feel the people in Mobile trust me, and they're behind me," Word said.
