| In 1993, Ronald Matthew Brown purchased a small pizza restaurant in Denton, Texas, called Fast Eddy’s Pizza & Subs. He closed the restaurant in 1998, and moved to Corpus Christi, where he opened two Fast Eddy’s Pizza & Subs. Brown was 21 years old when he bought the Denton restaurant and stated, “the first three years in business for myself perhaps were the scariest in my life. There was so much to learn about taxes, bills, management, employees, etc. The list was so long I almost didn’t make it work.”
But make it work he did. According to Brown, “Fast Eddy’s Pizza & Subs has been my life for ten years and has finally provided me with security and hope for tomorrow.” It also afforded him the opportunity to expand his business by opening a third location. However, as Brown stated, “I have never applied for a business loan, and it seemed that it would be difficult and time consuming.” Fortunately, his resourcefulness and determination brought him to the Del Mar College Small Business Development Center where SBDC business advisor Michael North assisted him in preparing a loan application including detailed cash flow projections and pro forma financial statements.
After the loan application and financials were complete, Brown approached Frost Bank for a conventional loan and was approved. According to Brown, “Mr. North was extremely helpful in securing my hopes by providing me with encouragement and the tools for expanding my business. After two and a half hours with Mr. North, I was able to provide appropriate information to help secure Frost Bank’s trust in me and my business. Mr. North has also given me an open door policy to his expertise and education to help me in any way possible. Unlike some people I have talked to in the past, he expects nothing in return except success on my part. My family and I thank (SBDC) for your time, and the opportunity to meet with you and helping my dreams come true.”
Ronald Matthew Brown’s third Fast Eddy’s Pizza & Subs is now open for business and is located at 14902 Trinity River Road. The restaurant is doing extremely well and has created 15 new jobs. |
