I can't believe the sense of community here, the amount of pride the people who run this city have in Las Vegas. They are wonderful.

When I went to college, I really became interested in cultural anthropology. Our behavior isn't that different from other primate species'.

I opened my first bar that I owned in 1989. The first one I ever owned was in downtown St. Louis.

Never eat anything out of a bowl in a bar... If it isn't in a package, don't eat it.

What I love about Vegas is that we have the mountains and the Strip. There is always something to do.

I was 12 years old and in summer camp. I started a company called Aardvark Industries, which provided basic services to camp counselors.

Government employees make a good amount of money - income levels are very high in Washington, D.C. compared to other markets, so they are living in a bubble.

If I were to pick the life of someone whom I professionally mimic in many ways, it would be Howard Hughes, surprisingly.

Sometimes people go into my business because they like to drink, which - that's insane.

I have a playroom with my drum set, a guitar, and amplifier at home.

Don't eat the bar nuts.

It's easy to be good when things are great; it's tough to be good when they're not.

You give me someone with the right personality, and I'll give you a bar manager in three weeks. You give me someone who has been a lousy bar manager for 30 years, and in three weeks, you'll still have a lousy bar manager.

I'm the type of employer who will hire based on personality, based on potential. If you put the resume before the personality, you're going to fail.

If you have to signal a bartender to get a drink, then they're not looking at you, which is their problem. They're not doing their job. So don't feel rude when you signal a bartender. They're the ones who caused you to signal them. Go for it.

Failure is an extremely personal thing, and so is success. The problem with people is they don't own their failure, and if you don't own your failures, you're never going to own your successes.

One of my first bartending gigs was on Santa Monica Boulevard at Doug Weston's Troubadour, a very famous live music venue.

In my extensive experience, I can honestly say that Sculpture Hospitality's inventory solutions are world class and, by far, the most comprehensive in the industry.

Keeping a bar clean is basic in this business. Having a staff that speaks adequate English is basic.

People connect to a good bar very personally.

When my company does a good job, we make people happy. They laugh, they smile, they have a good time - that's what we do for a living. Any business doing that is making a noble effort.

Bar owners tend to be social rather than operators. Most bar owners do not manage their numbers. They do not have spreadsheets or reports to manage their budget, cost, or inventory. I would say 90% of independent bar owners do not even have a budget.

The gift of giving and paying it forward has always been traits I consider to be invaluable.

I'm a businessman, not a bartender.