Professional Spotlight: Doug Howarth

Walking into  on Pier Plaza is akin to entering a cidade natal (meaning "hometown") backyard Brazilian barbecue—and that’s just how co-founder Doug Howarth likes it.

"A big part of Silvio’s is bringing forth Brazilian culture to the masses," he said. "Brazilian culture: it’s laidback, kick your sandals off, lay on the beach."

A part of the restaurant’s mission statement is "harmony in the community," Howarth said. And focusing on that purpose has not only led Silvio’s to grow as a company, but also Howarth to grow as a business owner. 

Howarth has worked in restaurants, bars and nightclubs "my whole life," he said. Having grown up in upstate New York, his first job as a teenager was serving as a short order cook at a NASCAR racetrack near his home. 

While attending college at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he majored in engineering science, Howarth also worked as a bartender, server, busboy—experiencing any and all positions in the restaurant business.

After college, Howarth and his friends packed their bags for the West Coast, and that’s when Howarth seriously pursued a career as a restaurateur.

Similar to many post-grads, he worked a number of odd jobs in the Los Angeles area—"one thing I’d do was, I went door-to-door selling oil change certificates," he said.

But from each of his experiences, he left having learned a new skill—from catering to sales—that would benefit his future as a business owner. 

Then, while attending a friend’s party, Howarth took a bite of some barbecue and had to meet the man behind the food: Silvio Correa. The two men joined forces in 2003 to start a catering company.

"There was a niche in the market for Brazilian food that was really for the masses," Howarth said.

At the time, diners craving Brazilian cuisine had the option of either visiting expensive Brazilian steakhouses or small mom-and-pop eateries where the menu could be intimidating, he said.

"So we took meats that had become so popular in these Brazilian steakhouses, and we presented those and served those in a familiar American package, being big barbecue sandwiches, plates and salads,” Howarth said.

The business launched modestly, with Howarth and Correa grilling in the backyard and "I remember we had production lines in the living room," Howarth said.

It took hard work, but as they accepted more catering jobs, attended farmer’s markets, and joined chambers of commerce, the business grew, Howarth said.

Silvio’s was invited to serve up BBQ at larger and larger events, such as Coachella, Stagecoach Country music festival, the Vans Warp tour, AVP beach volley ball tournaments, and (sticking with their Brazilian roots) some of the largest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments held in California including the Pan American Games.

"If you’re working for yourself, there’s no such thing as a nine-to-five job. There still isn’t," Howarth said. "A lot of days, we would start the day off by renting a truck at seven in the morning. We would pack the truck. We would come home at 11 or 12. We would unpack the whole truck in our garages. And, we’d drop the thing off the next morning… A 17-hour day was a regular day."

He added that, when they first started the company, he and Correa were "just kind of running day-to-day and month-to-month.

"I wasn’t as business savvy as I’ve become over time," Howarth said. "I didn’t do a lot of projection, I didn’t do a lot of long-term goal planning."

For example, when Howarth and his team were catering a Coachella event, he planned "for the best," and "it ended up being the worst by far," he said, adding that he was so unprepared to face potential problems that it nearly destroyed the company.

While speaking at a business owners panel event hosted by the on Aug. 3, Howarth said that he asked the group, "What is your plan if a huge 9.0 earthquake strikes and your building falls over?"

No one raised a hand, he said. 

"You should have a list regarding your business and every possible thing that could go wrong and what are the solutions," Howarth said.

When Silvio’s opened as a restaurant on Pier Plaza in 2008, Howarth said that he did as much as possible to prepare.

"When choosing a site for your business, do research," he said. "Look at police reports in the area, go to City Council meetings."

Howarth said that he was concerned whether Hermosa residents would accept Silvio's after it opened downtown—but as he stayed focus on the restaurant's mission statement, it now has become a part of the community.

For example, Silvio’s this summer sponsored Hermosa Beach’s first (a sport that started in Rio de Janeiro.) Next year Howarth aims to bring another Brazilian sport to town—footvolley.

"It’s volleyball…. But you can’t use your hands," he said.

Looking back on his experiences as a local business owner, Howarth told Patch five final tips to share with young entrepreneurs:

1. Have a good business plan—and it won’t be four or five pages; aim for 50 or 60 pages.
2. Find a board of advisors and mentors.
3. Find an excellent account and learn how to budget for everything—no matter how small or large the expense.
4. Subscribe to the Wall Street Journal and other business journals or magazines.
5. Always plan for the worst.

Earlier Patch spotlights on Hermosa Beach professionals: