Doing Business: Scrambled

EAST COUNTY — Joel Henderson remembers what it was like to be an employee who dreaded going to work.

The 35-year-old has worked in restaurants since he was in high school and says he knows the wrong kind of atmosphere can make an already demanding job worse.

“You have to have thick skin to work in restaurants,” Henderson said. “If you think you have patience, think again and be more patient. I’ve had my share of bad employers who didn’t treat their employees well, which doesn’t help.”

Henderson believes he has learned from his past experiences in the culinary world. He culminated those lessons when he opened his first business.

The Chicago native opened Scrambled, a breakfast and lunch restaurant located near State Road 64 in East County, Nov. 10. He moved to Florida once his parents moved to Naples, citing warm weather as a major perk.

Scrambled serves traditional breakfast staples such as bacon and eggs and offers wraps, burgers and lunch items as well.

Henderson’s new culinary hot spot for Dick Vitale and other local residents is open from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

All menu items are made from scratch except for the fries and bread. Those items would be fresh if Henderson had more room in the kitchen, he said.

Scrambled also features an open kitchen, so patrons can see where and how their meals are cooked.
Having an open kitchen was an important element to Henderson. It reflects transparency, he said.

“This is an honest, fresh restaurant,” Henderson said. “Anyone can see everything we’re cooking. The only reason we have a door next to the kitchen is because of how loud the dishwasher is.”

Although he’s only a couple of months into his tenure of being his own boss, Henderson hopes Scrambled will become a staple for churchgoers who are hungry after church services, students leaving classes at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) and local residents.

Henderson also wants his community dining hub to be a lucrative and fun place to work. He isn’t opposed to the “Cheers”-type of atmosphere, in which employees know their customers’ names.

With a few regulars whose names and table preferences he remembers over the last few months, Henderson believes his staff isn’t too far off from the sitcom’s neighborhood feel.

Providing employees with a fun atmosphere where workers appreciate their customers is one reason Henderson hopes to open two or three other locations.

“Having more locations means giving people a safe place to work where they’ll be treated well,” Henderson said.

But, he’s particular about where he’ll plant his next locations.

Henderson wants to follow the growth of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, where his first location resides.

“Scrambled will hopefully move with Lakewood Ranch Boulevard toward University Parkway,” Henderson said.

Today, as he stands in front of a stovetop, Henderson’s outlook is similar to the eggs he cooks: sunny side up.

“I’m enjoying being my own boss,” Henderson said. “Things are good.”

ABOUT THE OWNER
Joel Henderson is a Chicago native who has worked in restaurants since he was in high school. He started as a “burger flipper” who cooked steaks and burgers before attending culinary school at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. He bought a home in Heritage Harbour last year and after noticing a shortage of breakfast joints in East County, he launched his own — Scrambled.

SCRAMBLED
Owner: Joel Henderson

Services: Breakfast and lunch restaurant

Website: scrambledrestaurants.com

Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Sunday

Location: 1857 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Bradenton

Spotlight On:
+ Lakewood Ranch Lobster Pound and Seafood Market
Brian Arnold says some people may laugh when they hear the man who cooked up their new favorite New England clam chowder isn’t from the Northeast.

He’s a Midwesterner who lives in East County and sells Northeast seafood, as well as some Florida catches.

Two months ago, Arnold opened the Lakewood Ranch Lobster Pound and Seafood Market, located at 8740 E. S.R. 70 E., Bradenton.

Lobster Pound is a seafood market that also offers items in house such as clam chowder.

He sells about eight different types of fish, and also offers “take and bake” options, such as lobster macaroni and cheese.

“There wasn’t anything like this in this area,” Arnold said.

Visit lwrlobsterpound.com for more information.