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Bob Sambol, the founder of the Bob’s Steak and Chop House, poses for a photo at the original Bob’s on Lemmon Avenue, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n
Chitose Suzuki\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Once a month, a group of Dallas\u2019 most successful\u00a0restaurateurs<\/a> \u2013 from Ray Washburne<\/a> of M Crowd Restaurant Group to Salim Asrawi<\/a> of Texas de Brazil \u2013 meet for lunch, taking turns dining at each other\u2019s establishments and dishing over work.<\/p>\n As Bob Sambol, founder of Bob’s Steak & Chop House, attended these meetings, sitting beside a different restaurateur each time, he realized the inner workings of Dallas hospitality would make a great podcast. That idea became the foundation of \u201cRare Conversations,\u201d a podcast and video series that brings together leading restaurant competitors and reveals their tough realities.<\/p>\n \u201cThe restaurant business is a lot more than a lot of people think,\u201d Sambol said in an interview. \u201cThis is a lifestyle. You work when everybody’s off. You’re off when everybody’s working. There’s a lot that goes into this.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n How the conversations began\u00a0<\/p>\n Bob Sambol, the founder of the Bob’s Steak and Chop House, poses for a photo at the original Bob’s on Lemmon Avenue, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n Chitose Suzuki\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n The first episode was filmed on Sambol\u2019s phone, but he said it looked like it was filmed out of his basement, describing it as “amateur hour.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n He produced different podcasts before, such as \u201cTales from the Cigar Lounge,\u201d a series about where Sambol interviewed business leaders, but he didn\u2019t find success until \u00a0\u201cRare Conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n Knowing the potential of the series, he hired his videographer sister-in-law Mikey Hevr to level up the production.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s crazy to hear all the different things they had to do and how many times they almost went broke, but they just kept going for their dream,\u201d Hevr said of the restaurateurs in the series. \u201cThere’s a lot of harsh realities in there as well. They kind of tell it like it is \u2026 so I think it’s very good for entrepreneurs to be able to listen to these podcasts or videos and be able to actually get a real glimpse into how it is.\u201d<\/p>\n Related: The North Texas bars and restaurants that have closed this summer<\/a><\/p>\n The first official episode aired on YouTube in May, featuring Gene Dunston of Dunston\u2019s Steakhouse. The episode dove into Dunston\u2019s Steakhouse humble beginnings as a hamburger drive-in, which ultimately turned into a powerhouse steakhouse from his unwavering dedication, a common theme among several of the episodes\u2019 guests.<\/p>\n \u201cHe goes to the Harry Hines location during the day, goes home, takes a nap and rests, and then goes to work at the Lover’s Lane location at night,\u201d Sambol said in an interview. \u201cMy God, that is just unbelievable. He’s a lifer.\u201d<\/p>\n In the year since the series started, Sambol has interviewed several of the leaders behind Dallas\u2019 most notable restaurants, including Javier Gutierrez of Javier’s Gourmet Mexicano and David Campisi of Campisi’s. The series began to gain traction within months, with one video reaching almost 50,000 views on Instagram.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cI’d say to all of us in Dallas that are operators in hospitality, Bob is a great leader to have,\u201d Campisi said. \u201cNot only does he run a good operation for himself, he shares a lot of wisdom and Bob is the epitome of blocking and tackling in hospitality with his steps of service, the culture he creates. We all emulate Bob in some way.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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