From Childhood Memories to Culinary Success: Gigi’s Journey in the Restaurant Industry and Her Partnership with Victory Awning

Gigi Howell’s path to becoming a successful restaurateur is a testament to passion, perseverance, and the power of meaningful relationships. From her humble beginnings working in a sporting goods store to co-owning multiple beloved restaurants in Fort Worth, Gigi’s journey has been filled with moments of growth, reflection, and inspiration. Along the way, she’s cultivated a deep love for the restaurant industry, built lasting friendships, and worked with trusted partners like Victory Awning.

A Love for Service and Food

Gigi’s career in hospitality began in a place she never expected—a sporting goods store. Though it wasn’t the restaurant industry, it gave her an early taste of customer service and the joy of helping others. However, her real passion for serving others and working in the food industry blossomed when she started at Celebration Restaurant in Fort Worth. She found that it was the perfect fit, as she had always loved food and enjoyed serving people. The experience deepened her commitment to the restaurant world.

Building Relationships at Reata

After her time at Celebration, Gigi joined Reata, a Fort Worth staple known for its upscale Texan cuisine and panoramic views of the city. It was there that she started waiting tables before being offered a unique role focused not on serving food, but on sharing her infectious personality with others. She created an experience for her guests that made them feel as if they were dining with family. Her manager asked that she act almost like a concierge- her sole job was to build and foster relationships that felt both personal and welcoming.

Reata’s proactive approach to building a close and intimate atmosphere for its’ guests stood out to Gigi. This experience allowed her to forge strong relationships with members of the community, including Larry Buck, founder of Victory Awning. The many connections she made during this time would play a pivotal role in her future ventures.

Gigi recalled her manager gifting her the book, The Servant’s Heart, which helped solidify her belief in the importance of hospitality and service. This book resonated deeply with her and reinforced her desire to pursue a career in the restaurant industry, where she could combine her love for food with her passion for helping others.

 

From Childhood Roots to Business Partnership

As Gigi’s career continued to grow, she couldn’t have predicted that some of her childhood memories would come full circle. Her mother had worked for her now business partner Bourke. Bourke would often joke that they would one day work together, but at the time, Gigi didn’t fully grasp the significance of his words.

Fast forward 30 years, and Gigi and Bourke are not only business partners, they’ve opened multiple successful restaurants. One of the most significant milestones was the opening of JD’s, a restaurant named after Gigi’s grandfather, with a menu inspired by her family. When they first walked into the building, it was an absolute mess, yet they immediately felt at home. There was something about the space that made it the perfect location for their next venture.

Today, JD’s is a thriving local favorite, and Gigi is proud to share this piece of her heart with the Fort Worth community.

A Storied Connection with Margie’s

Gigi’s love for the restaurant business runs deep, partly because of her childhood experiences at Margie’s Restaurant, where her parents worked. “I spent so much time there as a child that I thought Margie was my grandmother. It wasn’t until my dad sat me down when I was 10 and explained that Margie wasn’t my grandmother. “I was shocked when I realized I wasn’t Italian!” she laughed.

 

Despite the confusion, Gigi cherishes the memories of her time spent at Margie’s. She and Bourke are excited to share her childhood memory and Fort Worth staple with the community as they prepare to reopen the restaurant.

Victory Awning: A Trusted Partner

While building a hospitality empire can be stressful, Gigi recalls her partnership with Victory Awning as seamless due to our attention to detail and craftsmanship. Gigi recounts her time working with Victory Awning in many of her restaurants as fast and easy to work with. “The awnings turned out better than I could have ever imagined. It’s one thing to see the renderings on a screen, but it was amazing to see it in real life. There was never any doubt that things weren’t going to go perfectly”. She laughed that she has a newfound respect for the awning craftsmanship.

Looking Ahead

Gigi’s journey in the restaurant industry is far from slowing down. She and Bourke are excited about the future of their ventures, including Margie’s, additional Pulido’s locations, with many more opportunities currently in the works. As she reflects on her career, Gigi is filled with gratitude for the relationships that have shaped her path, especially her partnership with Victory Awning.

Running restaurants is hard work, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. Gigi believes that if you love what you do and focus on making people happy, success will follow. She feels fortunate to have surrounded herself with supportive partners like Bourke, Victory Awning, her family, and the rest of the Fort Worth community who have helped her achieve her goals.

For Gigi, the journey is far from over—and with each new restaurant, each new relationship, and each new project, she’s building a legacy that will continue to inspire for years to come.

Thank you, Gigi, for your partnership with Victory Awning!