Meet Sean Gafner of The Roost

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Gafner.

Sean, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
After growing up on a farm and cattle ranch in the San Joaquin Valley of California, I found myself working in restaurants once I moved away to college. I quickly fell in love with the industry and put myself through Culinary School while serving tables at some local restaurants.

I proceeded to spend 15 years in fine dining restaurants, which was a great experience, but when I was in my mid 30’s, married with four kids, I started fantasizing about opening a casual restaurant with great food and drinks and none of the fluff; this was when the Jon Favreau movie Chef came out. That was it for me! I saw an opportunity to open a really great casual American restaurant, bar and venue at an awesome building downtown Longmont, I moved out a few months later and we opened our doors a few months after that, in March of 2015.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t been easy, but it has been good. Our biggest struggle to get open was trying to get financing because nobody wants to let a start-up restaurant borrow money, understandably so. Once we were open, our biggest struggle the first couple years was acquiring and retaining qualified staff, but now that we are established we have people begging us to hire them so that they can leave other places of employment.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Roost – what should we know?
On the one year anniversary of The Roost, we opened Jefes Tacos & Tequila just down the street. We have recently opened our third restaurant that is a fast-casual bowl restaurant called Smokin Bowls. All three restaurants have the same core values which are basically that we are committed creating a culture of honor when it comes to our staff and our customers.

Also that we are committed to responsibly sourced product; all of our meat at all of our restaurants is raised by the Buckner Family on an organic ranch right here in Longmont. Last, all three restaurants are committed to giving 10% of all profits away through different non-profit organizations. Since we opened The Roost we have given back nearly $200,000; half of that going straight to five families in the process of adoption that we were able to help bring home their children.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My greatest goal has been to run restaurants in a way that our staff, that is now over 120 people, feel valued and feel proud of the work they do. This has been a great challenge because it is a difficult line you have to between managing employees in a way that’s best for the business while also realizing that we are all humans that need grace and lots of second chances. Obviously, to be successful you have to be profitable as well, but we believe that while profitability is a rule of the game, it doesn’t have to be the strategy for your team.

Contact Info:

• Address: 526 Main Street
  Longmont, CO
  80501
• Website: theroostlongmont.com
• Phone: 3038273380
• Email: contact@theroostlongmont.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theroostlongmont/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theroostlongmont/

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