Ash Homewood: Q&A with Chef Mark Driskill

Owner and Chef, Mark Driskill. Ash is open Tuesday - Saturday and on Sundays for brunch.

Sharing a meal with people you know and love is one of life's sweetest comforts...

Ash opened in August of 2018 in West Homewood across from Patriot Park. They source fresh, local ingredients of the highest quality and use a wood-fired cooking process which inspired the restaurant name. Ash offers the finest quality food in a welcoming environment that caters to the whole family. 

You can find more information by visiting their website or Facebook page. They do take reservations, but walk-ins are always welcome.

​I (highly) recommend the fried okra and grilled swordfish!

How did you get into the food industry & why did you decide to open your own restaurant?

I fell into cooking as a job. I started working at Mugshots in Tuscaloosa as a dishwasher. But I immediately fell in love with the environment of the kitchen. It had a lot of the same elements that reminded me of my time playing collegiate baseball – the adrenaline rush of serving a restaurant full of customers and having to work with a team to provide a great product.

That's what I wanted to do.

So, I attended Johnson & Wales culinary school in North Carolina and after graduating started working at Highland's Bar & Grill. I worked my way up to sous chef under Frank Stitt, and then had the opportunity to be head chef at Bottega Cafe. I moved on to become the head chef at Brick & Tin, but eventually realized I needed more consistent hours at home. My family is most important to me, and I knew I couldn't continue those long hours away from them.

I moved into more of a “corporate job” as the Food Studios Coordinator for Meredith Corporation, which managed food content for entities like Southern Living, Cooking Light, Shape, etc. This is where I got to experiment with food and was able to have a little more autonomy in the creative process.

But I knew almost from the start, that I wanted to open my own restaurant. I wanted to ability to express my creativity with food. It's an art to me, so I knew it was important to have some control over what I create.

We moved to the West Homewood area about five years ago, and so we've had the privilege of watching it transform and grow. I knew I wanted to be a part of that, and that's one reason we opened Ash here in West Homewood. I literally live three blocks away. I wanted to create a space for people to find rest and comfort in really quality, beautiful food without feeling pressured to dress or act a certain way.

What do you believe makes you different from other restaurants and what do you think your customers truly value most about Ash?

I think we bring tremendous value to our community with our food. Everything is cooked using a wood-fired technique – that's what inspired the name, Ash. A wood-fired cooking process really makes a difference in the taste and experience. You can actually smell the wood burning in the kitchen when you come in. 

We use the same farmers to source the same quality ingredients you find at Highlands, Hot & Hot, or Bottega. We get those fresh ingredients daily and there are only three things that are ever frozen in our kitchen (and those items are still made in house). We even make our own applesauce for the kids menu.

Combine that with our hyper focus on creating a family friendly space, and you've got Ash in a nutshell. We want to be the neighborhood bar and grill with exceptional food that loves the whole family, not just "mom and dad." That's why kids eat free on Tuesday nights, and we spend just as much time creating delicious food for the kids menu as we do our full menu.

West Homewood is very family focused, and so to provide a space where you can enjoy a quality meal together as a family is unique. To know that you can enjoy the same fish you'd find at a high end restaurant downtown alongside your five year old is a beautiful concept, and the fact that it's an affordable experience is what makes Ash truly stand out.

What's the biggest challenge or obstacle you've faced as a small business owner?

From a business standpoint, just learning how to manage cash flow was a learning curve. As a chef, I had plenty of experience budgeting food costs, but owning the entire operation brought a whole new level of budgeting and planning to the surface.

The other challenge actually comes from the fact that I deliberately created this restaurant to blend with my family, rather than compartmentalize “family time” and “work time.” My wife is incredibly smart and handles all the business side of Ash. Since we live so close, my kids will often come visit me at the restaurant after school and I can always run home to tuck them in at bedtime even when I'm working late. For the most part, this blend works well, but it also means that we go through the challenges of owning a business together. 

What's your current marketing strategy or the best way you've found to get the word out about Ash?

My wife, Ashley, used to work in the digital marketing world, so we've utilized social media platforms for the majority of our exposure. It's been a great way for us to showcase our food and cooking techniques.

We recently experimented with corporate catering. We identified businesses that often cater lunches for meetings or staff, and dropped off a box of warm corn muffins along with a review sheet and catering catalog for them look through. That helped us develop a relationship with different local businesses.

What's the one piece of advice you'd give to someone interested in starting their own business?

I'd encourage them to make sure you have plenty of money in the coffers before you get started. Even if you've had experience in the industry, starting something new on your own is difficult. You'll learn some lessons quickly, and sometimes they're expensive lessons to learn.

Never assume your ideas are perfect or the best way to do things. Be flexible and willing to hear others' ideas.