Today we’d like to introduce you to Dale Duffy.
Hi Dale, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
The Salted Fry concept all started when my partner and I (Amy) would attempt to make dinner plans and have a nice evening out at one of the local restaurants; it would turn into a nightmare as she has a gluten allergy and very sensitive to gluten. She was so sensitive that even the slightest bit of cross-contamination would mean spending the evening at the local hospital. As you can imagine, going out for dinner wasn’t a common option due to the lack of gluten-free items available at these local restaurants. I always wanted to do a pommes frite shop of some kind in Florida and found an opportunity in the beautiful city of Mount Dora. I noticed a lack of street food during their festivals as if you wanted something to eat. Your only option was a sit-down restaurant which started the wheels turning in my mind.
As the planning for The Salted Fry evolved, other folks must have noticed the lack of street food in Mount Dora as well, and a few other places in town started popping up with the same concept. Amy then suggested that we make our restaurant gluten-free, which was definitely the right path to go down. Amy has a passion in the gluten-free world because of her condition and her creativity sparked the interior design and some of the recipes we still currently use in the restaurant. She also opened her own line of gluten-free cosmetics right next door (Chamomile Studios) as an example of her passion. I realized that pushing a gluten-free restaurant would be challenging as most people are not familiar with the term or what it even represents.
I used fries as a lure to get people into the restaurant as I spent three years perfecting my fries. I had to have a really good product that when my customers ordered our fries and dipping sauces, it had to leave a long-lasting impression on them, making them want to return. We weren’t voted best fries in Mount Dora two times running for nothing. We do have a really good product. We later added gluten-free sandwiches, beer, wine, and it had been quite the 3-year journey as you can imagine with Covid and all and quite a few other obstacles we’ve had to endure. We have been very lucky as our locals and long-distance travelers have supported us, and we are so very grateful for that. It has been very exciting hearing the stories of people who suffer from gluten-free allergies and celiac disease. We truly love our customers, and it makes us very happy to give them a place to eat where they feel safe. These people really light up when looking at our menu. I have actually had people shed tears of joy in our establishment because we help to remove their anxiety by providing them with a safe place to eat. It makes us very proud of what we have achieved in such a short period of time in these challenging times.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Obviously, being a brand new business that opened on Oct. 19th, 2019 and then getting hit by COVID-19 in March was not something that was in our business plan. Finding employees that understand our customer’s needs was another challenge, and we are fortunate to have an excellent team right now, and I’m very thankful for that.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I was always known for my fries back home in Lancaster, PA when my family had a restaurant there back in the ’90s (Duffy’s Pub). I was a master technician for Mercury Marine and worked a full-time job at a local marina while also helping to run the family pub before moving to Florida ten years ago. I have a passion for detail. I like to make sure people are happy and that they get what they expected. I really care about customer service and the experience they have at The Salted Fry, which is why we have a 4.9 rating on Google.
How do you define success?
Success is in the eye of the beholder. When you touch a person’s heart with something you’ve helped to create and that creation emotionally touches them, I call that a success and an achievement.
Contact Info:
- Email: thesaltedfry@gmail.com
- Website: thesaltedfry.com
