More than a decade on, it's the familiar faces that keep him going.
"What keeps me coming back is the same reason that keeps other customers coming back. I love seeing the same people. We're in a residential area, so I see 80% of my customers twice a week."
That constant contact has made the restaurant feel less like a business and more like a home.
"It's a big family-style restaurant. Everyone knows me by name. I love what I do."
For Glen, the whole job comes down to one idea: you're not just feeding people, you're hosting them.
"You're bringing people into your home, you're entertaining them, and if they leave happy, then you've done the right thing. It's worked, and that's what brings you back. A hundred percent community."
He's honest about the hardest part: the cooking.
"I'm not a chef by any means, and it's very stressful cooking for so many people. But I can do it. When it comes to making pizzas, I've been thrown in there. There have been many times I've said to staff, close the business, I can't do it, it's too much. And then 30 seconds later — don't worry, I'm on top of it."
Those nights in the kitchen have given him a hard-won respect for the people who do it professionally.
"Is it fun? At the end of the night, yes. During it…wow. I have a lot of respect for our chefs, put it that way."
His advice for anyone dreaming of running their own place, in hospitality or anything else:
"What do I say to a young entrepreneur? The grass is always greener on the other side. Be prepared to work 10 times more than you expect. But you've got to love what you do. Otherwise, it won't work."
>> See what other venues on Ordermentum have to say
