Meet James Alame | Hospitality Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with James Alame and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk is something that you can’t avoid when starting a business. You can make a business plan and try to project potential risks but you never know for sure what obstacles you might have to overcome. You can’t be afraid to take risks or you will never get anywhere, but at the same time you should always plan for the worst so that when something unplanned happens you are prepared to handle the situation.

I’ve taken major risks starting businesses in my life and I still am today. It’s something that you learn to be more comfortable with over time as you build confidence in yourself and see the benefits of hard work pay off.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I own The GOAT Restaurant & Lounge in Dallas, TX, which recently opened in April 2024. Opening the restaurant was extremely challenging and it still continues to be challenge as we are newly opened and still building our business.

I am very proud of the way the restaurant buildout turned out and the way we have operated since opening up. Our management has done a great job training our staff and it really shows in the quality of our service and food at The GOAT.

The GOAT Restaurant & Lounge has a unique design and atmosphere that makes it stand out from any other restaurant in Dallas. Our 2-story restaurant has an upstairs bar and lounge area as well as a private room with a DJ booth that overlooks the entire restaurant.

It’s a very lively atmosphere on the weekends as we have DJ’s and live entertainment at dinner, as well as an amazing weekend brunch menu.

We just recently opened for lunch and brunch so building up our daytime business and catering is our primary focus right now. In the restaurant business you never really settle in. There are always new challenges and changes you have to make to stay relevant and build your name.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Considering I own a restaurant & lounge in the heart of Uptown/Victory park in Dallas I would take them to The GOAT & Restaurant & Lounge first for some food and cocktails. The GOAT is located just a couple blocks from the American Airlines Center so I would probably want to take them to a Mavs or Stars game. I’m a big sports guy.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My father was has been a restaurant owner for over 37 years and is the reason I am in the hospitality business. He opened his first restaurant around the time I was born so I grew up watching him work hard and build a successful restaurant business. His work ethic is the main thing that really rubbed off on me. People don’t realize how much time and work it takes to operate a restaurant. Watching my father build his business and overcome a lot of tough challenges has really given me confidence and inspiration to follow in his footsteps.

Website: https://www.thegoatdtx.com

Instagram: @thegoatdallas

Image Credits
Lucky Creatives