INTERVIEW WITH THEBADDCHEF —

Six Months Later. Same Chaos. Higher Stakes.

INTRO

Six months ago, Badd Burgers was a chaotic idea running on pop-ups, late nights, and belief. There was no permanent kitchen—just a vision, a cult forming around it, and burgers that spoke for themselves. That first interview captured the beginning: the grind, the leap, and the moment Badd Burgers stopped being just an idea and started becoming a movement.

Now, six months later, everything has changed.

Badd Burgers has evolved fast—moving from underground pop-ups to a permanent kitchen inside The Hole in the Wall in Austin. The chaos is still here, but the stakes are higher. The pressure is real. The vision is sharper. This interview isn’t a repeat. It’s a checkpoint. A look at what happens after the hype, when belief turns into responsibility and chaos turns into something that lasts.

This is Interview with TheBaddChef — Part II.

THE INTERVIEW

TBC:

Six months ago, Badd Burgers was a pop-up cult. Now you have a permanent kitchen at The Hole in the Wall. When you look back at those first six months, what surprises you the most?

Tommy:

How fast it all became real. I knew the idea was strong, but I didn’t expect the response to lock in the way it did. The consistency of people showing up, believing, telling their friends—that surprised me. It stopped feeling like a hustle and started feeling like a responsibility.

TBC:

Pop-ups thrive on urgency. A permanent kitchen comes with responsibility. How has that shift changed the way you think about Badd Burgers day to day?

Tommy:

It made me sharper. Pop-ups are about adrenaline. A kitchen is about discipline. I still want the chaos, but now it has to be intentional. Every service matters because people trust us now.

TBC:

Austin is flooded with burger concepts. What do you think Badd Burgers is doing differently that made this growth happen so fast?

Tommy:

We’re not chasing trends. We built a point of view. The food hits hard, but the brand makes people feel something. That combination is rare, and people recognize when it’s real. Plus we have the only fully mirrored vegan menu in the world.

TBC:

Why was The Hole in the Wall the right home for Badd Burgers?

Tommy:

It already had soul. That place has history, grit, and character. We didn’t have to fake the energy—we just plugged into it. It lets Badd Burgers live full-time instead of popping in and out.

TBC:

You’ve built this brand on chaos, but scaling requires structure. How do you balance the two?

Tommy:

Structure is what protects the chaos. If the foundation is solid, we can still be wild. If it’s not, everything falls apart. I’m learning that control doesn’t kill creativity—it keeps it alive.

TBC:

Six months in, people expect consistency. Does that pressure fuel you or scare you?

Tommy:

It fuels me. If it scared me, I wouldn’t be doing this. Pressure means people care.

TBC:

How has The Baddy Cult evolved now that you have a permanent home?

Tommy:

It’s tighter. More focused. They’re not just hyping drops anymore—they’re helping build something that lasts. That’s powerful.

TBC:

How has your leadership style changed since day one?

Tommy:

I listen more. Early on, it was survival mode. Now it’s about trust, delegation, and making sure the people around me can win too.

TBC:

What was the hardest moment in these six months where you questioned everything?

Tommy:

When growth started costing more than it paid—financially and mentally. That’s when belief

matters most.

TBC:

What moment made you realize this was more than hype?

Tommy:

Seeing repeat faces week after week. That’s not hype—that’s loyalty.

TBC:

Now that Badd Burgers is more visible, how do you keep it dangerous?

Tommy:

By not getting comfortable. The second it feels safe, it’s wrong.

TBC:

What don’t people see behind the scenes?

Tommy:

The exhaustion. The risk. The constant decision-making. None of this is accidental.

TBC:

Is Badd Burgers an Austin-only phenomenon?

Tommy:

Austin is home, but the energy isn’t limited to one city.

TBC:

What has building Badd Burgers cost you personally?

Tommy:

Time. Sleep. Stability. But it’s given me purpose, and that’s worth it.

TBC:

If we’re sitting here again in another six months, what does success look like?

Tommy:

Stronger systems, deeper community, and still making burgers that scare people a little—in a good way.

TBC:

If someone eats Badd Burgers for the first time at The Hole in the Wall, what do you want them to feel when they leave?

Tommy:

Like they just found something they didn’t know they were missing—and they need to come

back.