We had the good fortune of connecting with Jeff Rossman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jeff, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I was a newly mined UCSD grad with an economics degree and no clear direction beyond that. My parents were longtime local restaurateurs and I’d helped them at their diner, Pam Pam — now Bunz gourmet burgers — over the years, quickly realizing the hazards of late night partying when I had a 7 a.m. shift at the restaurant the next day. I instated my own curfew.

In the late ’90s, I’d gone back to work at Pam Pam, toying with recipes and developing menu items during the day and managing the front of house at night. Soon, I’d created a supplemental menu that helped us double revenue in one year. It was 1998 — and time to take a risk. I talked my dad into opening a new restaurant. We looked for a spot that would attract locals and landed in vibrant Hillcrest. My dad thought such a high profile location necessitated a high profile chef, so we partnered with a notable toque. The relationship lasted for about a month. I was managing the the front of the house and curating a wine list focusing on local pours from Temecula. (We’ve since focused on supporting local growers and purveyors as local pioneers in farm-to-table). Two years and four chefs later, I sat my parents down and told them I needed to take over the kitchen. That there was something to be said for a chef-owner who would be entirely committed to our restaurant. From front of the house to back, here I was. We soon launched our catering arm, Terra Catering, as well.

If we didn’t take risks, we wouldn’t be where we are now, 24 years later, with a restaurant that still exists and a thriving catering company, serving large corporations like Qualcomm, intimate weddings and more. With slim margins and massive competition, the restaurant industry is absolutely one of the riskiest businesses to jump into.

But, no risk, no gain.

Every decision’s a risky decision. Nothing’s guaranteed. The last two and a half years of COVID have been enormously risky. We continue to take the path of least resistance, while getting increasingly creative.

Moving to the East College area in 2011 was another risk. We had to figure out what was best for us. And, despite loving our community, we had to get out of a bad lease. It paid off because we bought our current building and have been able to expand our catering.

Early on, we made a lot of risky moves and, as years go on, we’ve learned from mistakes and honed in on patterns of good decision making. There’s something to be said for using historical data to minimize risk. I think, at one point, we were talking about opening more locations, which was an incredibly risky move. We ultimately decided to focus on our core.

And, here we are: one of the longest running restaurant families in San Diego. In 2016, I was named Chef of the Year by the California Restaurant Association’s San Diego Chapter.

What should our readers know about your business?
Ours is a tight-knit family operation with great longevity. The teams we’ve put together are incredibly committed. There’s such strong camaraderie. We have fun. Some of our team members have been here for many many years. This all puts us in a different class. We focus on integrity, quality of product and presentation. The value we give our devoted and new clientele. The vast years of relationships with farmers and other food purveyors. We do what we do well without trying to be trendy. Not trendy, but on trend.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I don’t leave the kitchen or catering locations often, but kayaking or sailing on the bay are top choices. Wine tasting in Ramona or Temecula. I like being outdoors.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents, Mike and Bobbi Rossman. They helped fund everything — put it all on the line. They risked it all!

Website: terracatering.com, terrasd.com, bunzsd.com

Instagram: @terracatering, @terrasd, @bunzsd, @chefjross

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/terra-hospitality-group/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-rossman-5b4795177/

Twitter: @TerraSD

Facebook: @terracatering, @terrabistrosandiego, @bunzsd

Yelp: Terra American Bistro, Terra Catering and Events, Bunz

Image Credits
Terra American Bistro and Terra Catering

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