How to Build the Place You’d Want your Mom to Work | Behind the Scenes - The Original Pancake House

In this episode of Behind the Scenes, filmed in Dallas, Mark Bailey (President and CEO of The Original Pancake House DFW) and his longtime partner Jonathan Seyoum share how they built a seven-location operation with about 240 employees by focusing on service, trust, and long-term quality. They discuss why they chose and stayed in the restaurant industry, what makes their 30-year partnership work (shared values, communication, mutual care, and support even when they disagree), and how they manage scale through clear structure, empowered decision-making, and consistent, structured communication. Mark explains why their “made from scratch” approach matters, including a multi-day sour-starter batter process with no shortcuts, to protect consistency across locations. They also outline lessons for building a company that lasts: stay true to founding principles, innovate to remain relevant, and lean on core values during hard times, including cost pressures. 00:00 Meet Mark and Jonathan 00:47 Why Restaurants 02:04 Jonathan’s Origin Story 04:22 Mark’s Path to Ownership 07:41 Trusting a Business Partner 09:04 Making Partnership Work 12:27 Running Seven Locations 17:00 Communication at Scale 19:14 Five Day Pancake Process 21:15 No Shortcuts Long Game 23:34 Proud Place to Work 26:50 Great Place to Work Proof 31:17 Building a 100 Year Company 38:00 Closing Thanks and Takeaways Follow Michelle Bernier:   / soymichellebernier   Follow us: Youtube:    / @behindscenespod   Substack: https://substack.com/@behindthescenespod Linkedln:   / about   Instagram:   / behindscenespod   X: https://x.com/Behindscenespod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@behindscenesp...