Today we’d like to introduce you to William Mellon.
Hi william, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
i am a hard-working, self-made entrepreneur who used practical experience, travel & education to begin operating a small farm-to-table restaurant in Wilmington, NC. i was born in Corpus Christi, TX and joined the US Army directly after graduating Highschool. After my service, I moved to Raleigh, went to NC State and eventually made my way to the coast. I worked at great restaurants along the way working with the best chefs and restaurateurs in the area. i was always interested in wine, so i jumped at the chance to transition into a sales position with a boutique wine distributor. those years were instrumental in my growth & knowledge in the “wine world.” . during this portion of my career, i became hyper-focused on the relationship between food & wine and fell in love with wine, particularly, Spain. eventually, the rubber met the road and it became clear that i would need to forge my own path if i wanted to be happy. to be happy, i would need to be my own boss. i had learned how to maximize organization, passion & dedication and eventually, in 2010, manna came to life.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been a few obstacles to overcome over the journey. After a year of being in operation, I discovered that my partner was embezzling funds from “trust” money that was dedicated to the IRS & NCDOR. those two entities weren’t concerned about my problem–they just wanted their money. We had to decide if we wanted to stand and fight or wilt and go away. Easy would have been file for bankruptcy; hard would be grab the bull by the horns and fight for our lives. We chose the hard way…and it was HARD. After three years, we finally paid down all of the debts, forensic accountants, legal fees and were back to simply trying to operate a restaurant.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I own and operate a restaurant in downtown Wilmington, NC which means I wear several hats. As the owner i am the GM, dining room manager, HR director, payroll manager, schedule maker, wine steward, educator, food runner, receptionist, reservationist, host, bus boy, dishwasher, talent buyer, carpenter, electrician, problem-solver. I am a big brother/uncle to a team of nearly 20.
i wouldn’t say i specialize in anything…i am more of a “do a lot of little things pretty well” kind of guy.
i am proud of our team’s dedication to the guest and the importance of their experience and the fact that this little restaurant is still relevant after 15+ years.
i think our work ethic and our passion and our focus on the details is a huge difference maker at manna.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
We shouldn’t have made it through the embezzlement. I was lucky that I had built a small following of GREAT people who supported me/us tremendously in the beginning. Our professional team of attorneys & accountants helped guide us through the rough waters and eventually we made it through. Over the next years we cultivated other great supporters of our vision and when COVID came through, they were there again to float us through that time, too.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.earnestmoneyandsons.com
